Moral Courage Dot Com

Walcott Has a Good Day at Last...

2012-02-05T13:53:00.003Z

...but still suffers in Oxlade Chamberlain comparison.

Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn

When Pederson's free kick arrowed into the top corner, you started to wonder. It seems like years since Pederson has done that. But then, Arsenal had somehow contrived to concede four to Blackburn last time out, and it it's never a surprise when a team scores against Arsenal with their first real effort.

Luckily, the match was tied up by half time. Walcott teed up Van Persie, as he had done in the second minute. The incisive pass came, as on many occasions this season, from Song.

Then Van Persie turned provider, firing a pass at Oxlade Chamberlain, who did well to control, waltzed around Paul Robinson, and netted his first Premiership goal.

Then Gael Givet got himself dismissed for a crazy two footed lunge at the ball that could have done Van Persie damage had the Dutchman not hurdled the challenge.

Against 10 men for the second half, you would have been disappointed if Arsenal didn't rack up the goals. Arteta fired through the crowd for number four. Then Walcott dribbled infield to tee up Oxlade Chamberlain, who Solskjeared a shot through the legs of the defender and in at the near post. Then Van Persie completed another hat trick, doing well to keep his right footed shot down from Coquelin's low cross.

In stoppage time, Henry and Van Persie linked up, and the late substitute scored the second goal of his second spell via a deflection.

Walcott's three assists represented a welcome return to form, but it is still impossible to avoid comparing him unfavourably with the youngster breaking into the team on the other flank. Oxlade Chamberlain has the main weapon in Walcott's armoury- raw pace- but he also has so much natural footballing ability.

He glides past challenges while dribbling. He already looks a decent finisher, and can shoot well from outside the box. He has the vision to play incisive passes while running at pace. He has greater physical strength than Walcott. He can play the kind of simple passes that keep possession, as well as attempting to provide cutting edge service up front. And he wants to play in central midfield.

Now that's a talent to get excited about. And he makes Walcott look like what he is- a sprinter who got into football late, a one-dimensional speed merchant with no footballing brain.

What Was Once Unthinkable is Now Highly Probable

2012-02-04T02:20:00.002Z

Bolton 0-0 Arsenal

As in the last round of Premiership games, 4th placed Chelsea dropped points, Arsenal played afterwards, and Arsenal failed to capitalise.

Having dropped to 7th, with the transfer window having slammed shut, and with Jack Wilshere not likely to enjoy much if any playing time this season, the time has come to admit it: in all likelihood, Arsenal will not qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea are well ahead now and most clear-thinking critics would argue that they have more scope for improvement in the second half of the season than Arsenal do. And even if they continue to be inconsistent, the evidence suggests that Arsenal cannot take advantage.

As discontent grows, the most frightening question becomes, who would replace Arsene Wenger were he to leave? Many critics of Wenger suggest people like Roberto Martinez and Owen Coyle, solely on the basis that their teams try to play what we like to think of as good football. They have never been tasked with the stewardship of a large club and this kind of scenario could lead to further disaster, in my opinion.

Arsenal could attempt to lure a high-profile manager from the continent. Since Mourinho left London, Chelsea have had a succession of them. It has kept trophies coming in, but the price they have paid for that has been the staleness of the squad that Andre Villas-Boas inherited last summer. Mourinho himself, Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti: there was never a great sense that any of these men cared much where Chelsea would be in ten or twenty years time. It is amazing that Villas Boas has faced so much criticism for trying what noone else had the foresight to do: to freshen the Chelsea squad with younger blood and to instil a greater sense of identity.

Of course, football fans only seem to think about the short term now. It remains the most obvious defence of Wenger. Without him, can anyone really predict where Arsenal will be in five years' time? His flaws have, in my opinion, become damaging to the club, but is the current situation ALL his fault? Who would choose his replacement if he did leave this summer? A board that is equally villified, and equally culpable for Arsenal's stagnant state.

Optimists may look at the way the season is shaping up and surmise that Arsenal need to hit bottom and that that will happen in May. But we don't really know where bottom is. How can we assume, if money was not spent to keep Arsenal in the Champions League, that money will be spent to get them back there? If Wenger has to be creative with what we assume will be, 'the Van Persie money', is he really capable of surprising us to the extent that he used to? And if he is not, who is?

I can't claim to offer any concrete answers. I have been one of Wenger's harshest critics, and I stand by most of what I've written here. But a future without him is potentially much bleaker than we perceive the present to be.

Comeback Win

2012-02-01T15:15:00.002Z

Arsenal 3-2 Villa

Arsenal responded well to the United setback against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

In the first half, they played with a decent tempo but got suckered in typical fashion to first, a clever set piece, and second, a clever counter attack. With Arsenal having dominated but failed to open up Villa's defence, it seemed that Alex McLeish had got his tactics spot on. The now familiar chorus of jeers greeted the half time whistle. Arsenal's hopes of silverware this season looked dead.

Having played well and not created chances, however, the Gunners started the second period by ripping into their opponents and creating a flurry of them. Mertesacker had a glancing header cleared off the line. Ramsey found space in the box but shot straight at Given. Finally, Song released the Welshman with a perceptive pass, Richard Dunne blundered into a needless challenge, and Arsenal had a penalty. It really was one of the most stupid tackles you could hope to see. Ramsey's first touch had clearly taken the ball too close to Given, who was picking the ball up as Dunne flattened Ramsey. So probably not a denial of a goalscoring opportunity, but certainly worthy of a yellow card, which would have been Dunne's second. The referee inexplicably let him off.

Van Persie tucked the spot kick away and it was game on. Arsenal were flying and Villa clearly needed to weather the storm. In the face of the Gunners' onslaught, they instead went to pieces. Warnock slid into a pointless challenge on Walcott, allowing the heretofore wretched winger to waltz into the box. Without an obvious option to cut the ball back to, he tried to smuggle the ball past the keeper at the near post. Given saved but Alan Hutton's attempted clearance hit Walcott and flew into the net. No more than that hideous cunt Hutton deserved- he is more adept at kicking people than footballs. Walcott launched into a stupid celebration but even that disturbing sight was not enough to halt Arsenal's charge.

Koscielny embarked on a rampaging run from his own half up the left wing and into the Villa area, where a third stupid tackle of the second half resulted in Arsenal's second penalty. Darren Bent had done the right thing in chasing back, but with Cuellar ready to block Koscielny's run the striker attempted an ambitious slide that took man and ball, in that order.

Van Persie stepped up again. Went for the opposite corner this time. Again, Given went the wrong way. Barely fifteen minutes into the second half, Arsenal were in front.

The rest of the game played out without much incident. Arsenal's troph hopes remain alive. The best moments of the remainder of the game were the respective returns of Arteta and Sagna. Both will add solidity to a team that had recently reverted back to its shoddy former shape.

Too Many Holes to Plug

2012-01-27T02:14:00.003Z

Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United

Not an unexpected result: Arsenal's squad is once again stretched to breaking point. No full backs, no Arteta to help control the midfield area, and little by way of relief from the bench.

The first half was in its own way as scalding as the 8-2 reverse at Old Trafford. Ok, the score at half time was only 0-1, but United's dominance had been complete. And, lest we forget, this is a relatively poor United side who are suffering through their own injury crisis.

That Giggs and Carrick could win the midfield battle when outnumbered says much for the importance of Arteta. Song plays far better alongside the Spaniard, and he continued his poor recent run of form. Ramsey continues to be little more than a passenger- a player who needs a rest but can't be given one because Wilshere and Diaby and Coquelin are out of action. Rosicky, on the other hand, played with drive and spirit, not for the first time this season. He looked tired as the game wore on, but for the first hour or more he looked fresh and his sporadic runouts this season have left a good impression. He should be given more game time.

Van Persie was an onlooker in the first half, and the main threat on United's goal was Oxelade Chamberlain. The contrast between his intelligent pace and Walcott's brainless pace was a damning one for the older youngster. The actual rookie already looks a better player than the perennial rookie. Walcott's defenders have stated in the past that he needed a run in the team as first choice and free of injury. He has had that and the verdict for now has to be that he will never be better than a useful squad player. That his wage demands suggest he believes in his own importance to the first team, without ever earning that kind of status, means that he should really be turfed out this summer.

Arsenl were lucky to be only one down at the interval. Valencia powered a header past Szczesny from Giggs' pinpoint cross. Both of Arsenal's stand in full backs were culpable. Djourou, who had a nightmare and was replaced at half time, gave Giggs all day to line up his delivery, and Vermaelen only reacted too late to Valencia's movement.

Second half, United lost their way, and Arsenal played with some spirit without ever really playing well. A mistake let in Rosicky, who teed up Van Persie, only for the striker to blaze wide. A sitter missed, but Arsenal seemed to gain belief. A scramble saw a Rosicky shot blocked, but at the other end Wellbeck was exploiting Mertesacker's lack of pace and a goal could have come at either end.

Arsenal broke, Koscielny tackling Rafael in the box, finding Rosicky who sent a crossfield pass to Chamberlain. The youngster capped a very bright performance by finding RVP with a clever reverse pass, and the Dutchman shot precisely, through the legs of Evans, across goal, and just out of reach of Lindegaard. A fine goal to banish the memory of his glaring miss.

Arsenal's momentum was stalled by a bizarre event. Jeers rang out as Chamberlain was replaced by Arshavin. Arsenal fans accused their own manager of not knowing what he was doing. Poor Arshavin, with his already tattered confidence, was probably hurt, but it did seem strange to take off Arsenal's best player on the day, especially when Walcott had turned in another anonymous performance.

Whatever, neither the manager's decision or the fans' reaction helped the team in any way. The outstanding Valencia cut through Arshavin, Song and Vermaelen- ALL culpable, not just the Russian- and set up Wellbeck to fire in a deserved United winner.

Half a Team, No Chance

2012-01-15T17:57:00.004Z

Swansea 3-2 Arsenal

Arsenal were awful at Fulham and they were worse at Swansea.

A similar pattern emerged. A good start, an early goal. Then Arsenal lose their way. The hosts take control.

This time the deserved equaliser came a lot earlier than at the Cottage. Ramsey's dopey foul in the box set the tone for a wretched individual performance. Sinclair beat Szczesny from the spot.

If Ramsey had an awful game,he wasn't alone. Arshavin and Walcott were both disgracefully bad. Both provided a single moment of quality- Arshavin's through ball for Van Persie's opener, and Walcott's cool finish to level the game at 2-2- but were otherwise destructive to their own team's chances of controlling the game.

What did not help in this regard was the absence of Arteta. Some know-nothing blowhards have voiced the opinion that the Spaniard only offers conservative sideways passing. Today we saw just how vital that sideways passing is. With Ramsey flitting around and giving the ball away almost every time he saw it, Benayoun seemingly unsure of his exact role, and a lonely Song having an off day, Arsenal were essentially spineless.

The alarm bells were first set ringing early on, when Arsenal were still in front. A single pass from a Swansea defender- who had just collected the ball from his keeper- and the home side were running at the Arsenal back four. Arteta has done a great job helping make Arsenal a more solid unit. Without him, Wenger fielded Ramsey, Benayoun, Arshavin and Walcott. That is a powder puff team for an away game and it got a performance to match. All of those players had stinkers and it's not an unusual occurance for any of them this season (with the exception of Benayoun, who hasn't had much playing time).

And an inefficient midfield is a doubly big problem if said midfield is failing to protect an already iffy defence. Mertesacker has failed to shore up the backline as some had hoped. Miquel and Djourou toiled manfully in their thankless tasks on the flanks, playing out of position and having to deal with Swansea's speedy wingers. Koscielny was brilliant again,though caught out by Graham for the eventual winner.

Looking at the Arsenal team sheet, it is pretty medicore stuff. A team of sometimes capable, but utterly inconsistent footballers. I have talked about complacency a lot over the last few years but today it struck me that this Arsenal team really isn't much better than what we saw today.

They were outpassed for periods. Outfought for periods. By a promoted team. Credit to Swansea for the positive football they play. But there was a time when the thought of a lowly side "having a go" at Arsenal would have you licking your lips in anticipation of the gaps they would leave behind, and how Arsenal would exploit that.

There is scope for improvement this season. Once the defence is pieced back into something recognisable, Arsenal may begin to grind out results again. That is the best we can hope for this season. In truth, glorious football is now but a memory for Arsenal fans. Beneath all the lazy media stuff about Wenger's pure philosophy, the truth is that Arsenal haven't played anything approaching fantasy football in years. Certainly not with any regularity.

Now, they need Vermaelen, they need Wilshere, they need Arteta, and they need to get scrapping again. But 4th place is looking less and less likely. After 21 games, in which Villas-Boas's Chelsea side have encountered serious problems, they still have a four point lead over Arsenal. Spurs, despite their blip against Wolves, will soon disappear into the distance if they keep up their swashbuckling form.

The Egomaniac Returns

2012-01-10T05:35:00.002Z

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds

It was like he'd never been away. If there was a trademark Thierry Henry goal, that was it. And it was pretty close to a trademark Thierry Henry celebration, too- the bellowing, the chest-beating, and the refusal to allow team mates to share in his moment.

Thierry Henry is an Arsenal legend, no doubt. He will probably remain the club's record goalscorer for a long, long time and it's hard to think of many prolific goal getters in recent decades who have been as thrilling as the Frenchman.

But, although his goal against Leeds was an uncanny impression of his own younger self, the truth is that Henry is long past anything approaching his best, and the extent to which he can help Arsenal now is questionable.

Much will rely on his willingness to play second fiddle on a stage where he was once undisputed king. He has been careful to project humility in his remarks, but his showy celebration last night suggests that his egotistical side is still present.

The fact that Henry probably can still make a difference to this team is more an indictment of the squad than a tribute to his powers. Beyond Van Persie, there has been a painful lack of firepower. Marouane Chamakh's play has lost the conviction that initially made him look a shrewd signing. He never looked much of a finisher but his workrate, aggression and awareness of those around him have all regressed so that it is almost a relief he is departing for the African Nations Cup. The signing of Park Chu Young seems a disaster, as he is not considered worthy of any playing time.

Gervinho and Walcott are infuriating in different ways. The Ivorian in has a habit of looking the most dangerous player on the pitch until it comes to the rather important business of shooting for goal or playing a telling pass. Walcott can finish and can provide accuracy in the final third but when he is up against a good full back, he is too often shunted onto the periphery of the game, sometimes to the point that Arsenal may as well be playing with ten men.

In short, the fact that the return of Thierry Henry can be seen as some kind of solution only suggests the magnitude of Arsenal's problems up front. These are problems that will remain after Chamakh and Gervinho return and after Henry goes back to America. And the alarm bells will be deafening if Van Persie succumbs to injury at any point, which hardly seems impossible.

Henry's cameo against Leeds was brilliant, but the serious business between now and May is in the league, not the FA Cup. And Arsenal need more than an ageing legend to secure that top four spot.

The Struggle Continues

2012-01-02T19:19:00.003Z

The teams that Arsenal are fighting for 4th have been dropping points; Arsenal have followed suit.

Fulham 2-1 Arsenal
This game might well have turned on a classic goalmouth scramble soon after Koscielny's first half opener. Both Ramsey and Song were denied by desperate saves. Fulham stayed in the game and it remained 1-0 until half time.

Despite the harshness of Djourou's second yellow card, Fulham were well worth their victory. Wenger paid for long term and short term oversights. The lack of a viable alternative to Van Persie- and the absolute lack of faith in Chamackh, which can't be helping the man's confidence- is taking its toll. Van Persie already looked knackered against Wolves, and has played twice more in less than a week since that game.

The injury crisis at the back is plain unfortunate, but Wenger's handling of this game could have been better. Fulham had pinned Arsenal back for almost the entire second period. High balls into the box were causing havoc, as usual, and both Senderos and Dempsey should have equalised. Arsenal needed an outlet on the break but both Walcott and Gervinho were replaced. On came Benayoun and Rosicky and with that went any real attacking threat. The game became a siege on the Arsenal goal.

The equaliser was disappointing, but felt inevitable. Szczesny flapped at a corner, Senderos headed into the goalmouth and Sidwell found the net.

Fulham almost seemed to run out of steam. But there was a final twist as Squillaci, whose name has become a byword for calamity, inadvertently headed across goal for Zamora, who steered a brilliant first time volley inside the near post.

A late winner today for Chelsea. A late defeat for Arsenal. Neither side have any great sense of momentum at the halfway stage and the possibility remains that Liverpool will surge back into contention for a Champions League spot. Arsenal are running out of steam at a vital time and it may need more than the return of a once great marksman to restore order and consistency.

1-0 to the Arsenal

2011-12-13T04:50:00.002Z

Arsenal 1-0 Everton

Arsenal celebrated 125 years on Saturday, and if the spectacle of the game did not match the grandness of the occasion, there was at least a goal to remember.

Though a lot of the play was scrappy in the opening 45, Everton were giving up clear chances. Arteta robbed his old partner Fellaini and released Walcott. With Gervinho and Ramsey square, a goal seemed certain, but last ditch defending denied the Ivorian. Song played in Ramsey, and the Welshman twisted onto his left foot, but only found the top of the net with his scooped effort. Almost immediately an Everton player inadvertently sent Gervinho through on goal, but his finish was predictably artless, and Howard parried.

Everton improved after half time. They denied Arsenal space in the centre. Van Persie was having an off day, overrunning the ball on a few occasions and not enjoying many sights of goal.

Even after sending on Distin and serving notice of their contendedness with a stalemate, it was Everton who were beginning to threaten more. Arsenal looked like they might need a scruffy goal, because they had not really put a move together all game. Instead, they scored a goal of real beauty.

Song found space in midfield and curled a perfect through ball over Jagielka's head to Van Persie. Despite his performance up to that moment, the Dutchman still had the confidence to take the ball first-time on the volley, and his technique matched that of the pass, the ball flying past a static Howard and glancing in off the far post.

While Arsenal never hit their stride except for that one moment, it would be hard to argue that Everton deserved anything from the game. They had shown an almost absolute lack of ambition despite the evidence that their opponents were not at their best.

That said, there were a couple of late half chances for the away side, both stemming from Mertesacker's continued uncertainty. One substitute, Gueye, dragged an effort wide when well-placed. Some a similar but more difficult chance, another sub, Conor McAleny, struck a brilliant effort that had Szczesny beaten but dipped just wide of the far post.

For the umpteenth time this season, Arsenal were indebted to the brilliance of their Dutch striker. But Song should also take some credit for the quality of his pass. He has again shown his underappreciated creative side. It's hard to think of any other "holding midfield" players who pass incisively with the regularity that Song does. As much as anyone else, he has softened the considerable blow of losing Fabregas's precision passing.

Fabianski and Mannone remind us of the Dark Days...

2011-12-12T02:27:00.003Z

....and United Crash Out Basel 2-1 Manchester United

When Manchester United destroyed Arsenal at Old Trafford by a surreal scoreline just a few months ago, who could have predicted that in the final round of Champions League group games Arsenal would be able to field the reserves in a dead rubber, while United would try and fail to secure the solitary point they needed against Basel. It has been a strange and unpredictable season.

United endured numerous warnings on their way out of the competition. They never truly convinced in any game, and were within minutes of losing at home to Basel after leading 2-0. They came from behind to lead the home game against Benfica, but immediately gave up an equaliser that left them in a precarious poition. Still, few if any expected that they would fail to get at least a draw in Switzerland. Instead they succumbed to soft goals and a lack of punch up front that has hampered them in recent weeks.

United started the season in freewheeling form, knocking in goals seemingly at will. They were freakishly clinical against Arsenal and in the game at home to Chelsea they led 3-0 after being outplayed for 45 minutes. Their run of form was ended in spectacular fashion by Manchester City, and Ferguson responded to that scalding defeat by falling back into cautious mode. In the league, it has worked. United have kept clean sheets, and won games 1-0. They are not playing expansive football but that may come later.

In Europe, however, the air of vulnerabilty that City exposed has been almost constant. When United exited the Champions League at the group stage in 2005/06, it was a little less shocking. The group was more difficult, and in the years previous United had lost knockout ties against Milan and Porto, while also seeing Chelsea and Arsenal romp to Premiership titles.

This time, the group was seen as a formality. After all, United have recovered from their 2005/06 nadir to reach three of the last four finals. United have however embarked on a period of reconstruction, as shown by the youthful look of thei line ups this season. As Arsenal know only too well, setbacks are inevitable in this situation. But Ferguson has shown himself willing, where Wenger has not been, to break the bank in order to reinvigorate his side. United's summer transfer policy focused on bringing in youth but January might bring about a different approach.

Olympiakos 3-1 Arsenal
Olympiakos took advantage of Arsenal's patchwork line up to secure a deserved win, only to be denied a place in the next round by Marseille' stunning comeback in Germany.

The game was noteworthy as a reminder of the days not long ago when Arsenal were something of a laughing stock thanks to the infamous Goalkeeper Situation. Fabianski settled quickly into his familiar comic routine, but it was Mannone who provoked the biggest laugh of the night with his slapstick swing at Fuster's tame shot.

The more religious of Arsenal fans will be praying that Szczesny stays healthy and disciplined.

Fulham Halt The Revival... Wigan Provide Little Resistance...

2011-12-09T04:02:00.005Z

Premiership: Arsenal 1-1 Fulham
After Arsenal's hard-fought win at home to Dortmund, there was a hangover. The players looked knackered against Fulham; it was an all-too-familiar display of lethargy from thr home side at the Emirates. The game was played at the pace of a pre-season friendly, and the Gunners missed the injection of speed and penetration that Gervinho has already provided in his short time at the club. Arshavin, though he did net a neat but offside goal, was typically ineffective in general.

Fulham attacked in fits and starts, as the away side usually does at the Emirates, and although Arsenal's defence has seen a marked improvement in recent weeks, the opening goal here was largely the result of one of the sporadic bouts of ineptitude that has blighted the team in recent years. After Arsenal were caught trying to be too clever playing the ball out from defence, Murphy had time to size up a typically canny diagonal pass into the box for the onrushing Riise. The Norwegian's touch ran away somewhat, but a panicky Vermaelen miscued his clearance and the ball trickled past Szczesny and into the corner.

That the comical opener came soon after Van Persie had been denied by a desperate goal line clearance seemed to suggest that this was not to be Arsenal's day. But credit to Vermaelen, he responded to his mistake in characteristically buccaneering fashion, storming up the pitch in open play to nod in Theo Walcott's superb cross. In the late stages after the equaliser, Arsenal had pressure but no real chances, and Fulham held out for a draw that they deserved after a compact and solid performance.

Carling Cup: Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City
The Carling Cup game against City was notable mostly for the return of Samir Nasri, who had a subdued game in front of his hostile former admirers. Arsenal's mix of youngsters and squad players gave a good account of themselves, as they usually do. City's back up players failed to gel except in the moment that decided the game. A lightning break saw the ball shuttled from one end to another, Dzeko to Johnson to Aguero, and the Argentine slotted clinically past the exposed Fabianski. Arsenal had had a lot of possession, and Oxelade-Chamberlain looked particularly dangerous, but City hd the class and the cutting edge to engineer the killer moment in a tight match.

Premiership: Wigan 0-4 Arsenal
A welcome return to winning ways was found at Wigan, though in truth they offered little by way of tough opposition. There was an early scare in which Santos deflected a point blank shot wide, but Arsenal slowly took control. Still, the first two goals were the epitome of soft. Arteta's shot was well struck and moved a little, but still should have required only a routine save from Al-Habsi. Instead it found a way through him and into the net. Then Vermaelen pounced with a well-aimed header from a corner, but one that would not have been so telling had Wigan positioned a man on that post.

Of course, Arsenal have disturbing recent memories of leads thrown away at the JJB and elsewhere, and so there was no room for complacency. The game could not be considered safe until a patient move led to a beautiful 1-2 between Van Persie and Song. A dummy from the Dutchman left the wretched Caldwell sliding into the middle of next week, and though his right-foted effort was parried by the keeper, Gervinho was there to pick up the pieces.

Walcott squared unselfishly to Van Persie for number 4, and Arsenal thus continued their impressive away form of recent weeks.

Van On Fire (Part 2)

2011-12-01T16:41:00.002Z

...and Song's on Song...

Arsenal 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Another Van Persie brace, another win.

As has been the case in quite a few of Arsenal's wins this seasons, it was not a barnstorming performance, and there was no surfeit of chances, but the Dutchman is so clinical at the moment that the results are starting to stack up.

But Song was the real star of the show, and after an iffy start to the season, he is showing signs of yet more improvement on last campaign's impressive displays.

The term "holding midfielder" is a ubiquitous term nowadays, and not without some reason, as most teams field three central midfielders. With that system dominant, there is a greater number of midfield "specialists", and less midfield generals like Patrick Vieira or Roy Keane in their pomp. A midfielder is usually seen as a creator or a destroyer, and while there are some players who occupy some kind of middle ground between those two simplistic terms, there are few nowadays who combine combative tackling with incisive passing and an instinct to drive forward.

Song has, since his return from that vital loan spell at Charlton, often looked a little too talented to be just another Makalele clone. What with Arsenal's defensive travails over recent years, most fans just wanted him to be a disciplined and effective presence in front of the back four, good enough to provide a shield, win the ball and shuttle it on to someone else, preferably Cesc Fabregas. But he has more technical ability than your average destroyer. That has become more evident still since Fabregas's departure.

A lot of this is probably down to the maturity of Arteta, who is proving to be a much better version of Denilson, doing what the Brazilian was meant to all along. Arteta gets tackles in, helps Song protect the defence, and does not get ahead of the play too often, leaving Ramsey closest to Van Persie out of the three midfielders. Song and Arteta have already forged a decent understanding and Song must feel more freedom to push forward as he likes to, knowing that his team mate is likely to fill in behind.

We have seen some nice slide rule assists from Song- for Gervinho's opener at Blackburn and for Van Persie's winner at Norwich. This time, the game-breaking assist came from a jinking run and a pinpoint cross that allowed Van Persie to power a downward header past the keeper.

It had been something of a stalemate up to that point, with neither side creating a great deal. Dortmund had just won in impressive fashion at Bayern Munich and set about Arsenal in a similarly intense fashion. Their pressing was quite effective and it took something out of the ordinary from Song to open them up.

The second goal was also out of the ordinary, by Arsenal's current standards. Or out of the distant past, perhaps? A corner, a near-post flick on, and a poached finish...it could almost have been Paul Merson, Steve Bould and Ian Wright after a week of tough training under the watchful eyes of George Graham. In reality it was Vermaelen and Van Persie who combined to convert Arteta's inswinger.

And with only a few minutes to go, that was that, although there was time for the concession of a very late Dortmund consolation. It was the result of some sloppy play in the corner by Song and, especially, Djourou. With the game won, maybe the most heartening image of the night was Vermaelen raging at his team mates. It's the kind of professionalism and passion that have been lacking in too many of his team mates over recent years. It's good to have him back.

Van On Fire (part 1)

2011-11-24T01:35:00.002Z

The revival continues, with one man's name a constant in the headlines.

Norwich 1-2 Arsenal

Away at Norwich, Arsenal threatened to revert to the old stereotype. First, chances were squandered. By Van Persie himself, and by the worryingly profligate Gervinho. Then, an achingly soft goal was given away. Mertesacker hesitated in dealing with a bouncing ball, and was mugged by Morison, who slipped the ball past Szczesny.

Arsenal bounced back to level. Walcott had already been denied a goal for himself by a brilliant goal line clearance. This time he made one, beating his man with ease, and crossing low into the six yard box, where Gervinho completely missed his attempt at a flick and Van Persie tapped into the unguarded net.

After half time, the Ivorian was again guilty of a missing a gilt-edged chance. Van Persie released him with a wonderful through ball, and he seemed to have made space to slip the ball past the keeper, but mishit his shot and allowed Ruddy to save.

Van Persie made no such mistake with the next big opportunity. Norwich lost it in midfield to Arteta, Song took over, drove forward and, given the choice of aiming for Gervinho or Van Persie, naturally took the latter option. The Dutchmansteadied himself and clipped a gorgeous right-footed finish over the keeper and into the net.

...Wasn't Expecting That

2011-11-08T15:09:00.003Z

Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal

Many would have feared for Arsenal in the lead-up to this clash. Chelsea had just suffered a noble defeat to QPR, dominating the game and unlucky to lose despite playing with nine men for more than half the contest.

Arsenal had been labouring to victory in matches they were once expected to win comfortably. But progress is progress, and results had improved hugely since the dark days of Old Trafford and Ewood Park.

The worry for many, and certainly me, was that another capitulation against Chelsea would send Arsenal back into crisis mode.

In fairness, some of the worries about Arsenal were well-founded. Their defending for much of the first half was shambolic. But the mental weakness that so often accompanies and exacerbates the defensive vulnerability was not as evident as in the past. And to add a further excitement to what became a surreal game, Chelsea provided their own moments of uncertainty at the back, and contrived to outdo the Gunners in the self-destruction stakes.

Twice Arsenal fell behind to fairly soft goals- and twice they roared back.

The game started in a raging whirlwind of goalmouth action. A minute had not passed before Ashley Cole exposed the downward-spiralling Djourou, offering a poor impression of a right back, and only a timely intervention from Koscielny prevented Torres from latching onto the low cross.

Santos on the other wing was faring no better, and Arsenal's suicidally high line was next broken down his flank, but this time Sturridge dithered too long over an obvious pass across to Torres, and when it came the low ball was too close to Szczesny.

Arsenal responded with menace, and Theo Walcott twice showed uncharacteristic productivity, only for others to waste his good work. First, he was released down the right after excellent breakaway play by Arteta and Ramsey. Cole was left for dead on the touchline, and the low cross was perfectly measured for the onrushing Gervinho, but with Cech making a desperate lunge to save the ball, the Ivorian was put off and screwed an awkward effort wide.

Similar poor finishing by Gervinho had been punished by Tottenham during Arsenal's last defeat and one would have been forgiven for thinking that would be the case again as, after Van Persie skied another chance from another excellent Walcott cross, Chelsea hit the front.

Terry hit an accurate, raking crossfield pass that left Mata facing up to Santos, and the Spaniard easily cut inside the Brazilian before whipping in a vicious cross. With Mertesacker looking flat-footed and unable to head clear, Lampard ghosted in in trademark fashion and placed an emphatic header past Szczesny.

Sturridge had a chance to give Chelsea a two goal cushion. Lampard lofted a first time pass over Arsenal's backline but Sturridge screwed the bouncing ball well wide of the goal, and Arsenalk were still in the game.

The first equaliser was the result of Ramsey's creativity and Gervinho's unselfishness. The Welshman threaded a Cescesque ball through Chelsea's static rearguard and Gervinho squared cleverly to Van Persie as Cech came out. The finish was a formality. Gervinho's pass was simple, and clearly the efficient option, but it remains the kind of pass that professional footballers often fail to spot in the heat of the moment.

Chelsea responded well to the setback. Sturridge soon had the ball in the net, but from an offside position, and as the interval approached, Terry bundled in Lampard's corner after as Arsenal defended with their typical lack of authority- Mertesacker culpable again.

2-1 down at half time, but Arsenal had surely noticed that Chelsea were far from watertight at the back, and set about testing the Blues again straight from kick off. Ramsey hooked a half chance over the bar after Gervinho had roasted Bosingwa. Then Song turned skilfully in midfield and hit a peach of a left footed pass to release Santos, who had left Sturridge trailing. The defender, enduring a torrid afternoon to that point, bore down on Cech and slipped a shot under his right leg for 2-2.

The staggering openness of the match continued. For the third time, a Lampard pass opened up Arsenal with worrying simplicity, and Cole reached the ball first only to be upended by a desperate Szczesny. The keeper had the look of a man who expected a red card, as did most of the viewing public, but he got away with a yellow; a vital moment.

Arsenal took the lead for the first time. Walcott ran at the Chelsea defence with Cole busy complaining about a soft free kick award. The winger tripped himself up, then jumped to his feet as the home defenders hesitated, and after a nice trick and aburst of acceleration, he was through on goal. He blasted his shot inside Cech's near post and a surreal game had a rather surreal goal.

There was more to come. Although Arsenal defended deeper and with more authority for much of the second period, they were undone with ten minutes to go by some more slack play from Santos, some poor refereeing, and some bad luck. The Brazilian presented the ball to Mereiles with a poor pass but looked set to seize on the latter's heavy touch before he was blocked off by Lukaku. No whistle sounded, and the ball was moved inside to Mata. His shot took a hefty deflection off the sliding Song and looped wickedly into the top corner of Szczesny's goal. In recent years, Arsenal have so rarely come out on top in a high-scoring game, and it seemed that hoodoo was to continue.

Instead, it was Chelsea who imploded in the closing stages. Malouda panicked Terry with an overhit backwards pass that had Van Persie interested. The two seemed set for a foot race until the troubled England captain slipped (or, as some have mischievously suggested, took a deliberate fall). Van Persie had a clear run on goal. He calmly rounded Cech and slotted home and Arsenal were in front again.

4-4 is a familiar result for Arsenal of late and there were some predictable moments of panic at the back before a stoppage time counter attack saw Arteta release Van Persie again. The Dutchman took a touch and then leathered a swerving shot past Cech and inside the near post. Arsenal celebrated wildly after this goal and after the full time whistle.

Can the revival continue? Suddenly a top four finish looks possible again.

1-6: Changing of the Guard or a Freak Result?

2011-10-28T18:17:00.003+01:00

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

Man United's defence has been unconvincing so far this season, and their vulnerability was finally, and brutally exposed by their bitter, and now dangerous, local rivals.

City have won derbies over the last decade or so, but previously, those results had little significance beyond the local. At the end of every season, United were hoisting trophies, and City remained a sleeping giant at best.

While the lopsided nature of last Sunday's scoreline is largely due to the dismissal of Jonny Evans with the score at 0-1, it is, nonetheless, very impressive. United have had numerous difficult spells during Ferguson's long reign. But no team has previously had the talent or the balls to come to Old Trafford and hand them such a whipping. Circumstances played a big part, but boy did City take advantage of their opportunity to lay down a marker.

Just how significant will the game prove to be?

It should send City's confidence sky-high. They already have the best squad of players in the league, and are playing the best football (despite their manager's reputation for negativity). They are rightful favourites, at this point, to win the title.

But United under Ferguson have the handy habit of turning adversity to their advantage. One would expect them to be just as galvanised by their own humiliation as City are by their moment of glory.

With that said, there are deficiencies in the United team that were cruelly exposed by their neighbours and this has surely shot some holes in the aura that often allows United to coast through games against lesser sides. Their relatively ordinary central midfield and a defence that has been unsettled by changing partnerships and by an apparent decline in the performances of its senior members are primary concerns.

They do not have a player with the creative flair of David Silva, or indeed a player with the destructive zeal of Nigel De Jong who, frighteningly enough, City don't even seem to need at the moment.

The evidence is that if United are to make it title number twenty, they will need to rely on their neighbours' oft-showcased appetite for self-destruction.

David Silva was the star again. His imperious volleyed pass through to Dzeko for the final goal has garnered much of the attention, but he was involved in so much. He has that admirable habit, like Bergkamp before him, of making the players around him look better. He attracts the attention of defenders, and that frees up space for others, and he has the vision, technique and selflessness to help those other players exploit the space fully. Witness the build up to Balotelli's second goal, and how Silva waits and releases to Milner at just the right time.

Better, Closer, Warmer/ RVP

2011-10-26T16:20:00.004+01:00

Arsenal are grinding out wins, dismantling the wall of discontent brick by brick.

Since that defeat in a close-fought North London derby, the Gunners have twice been indebted to their captain and talisman Robin Van Persie. He scored braces against Sunderland and Stoke respectively to ensure six points from the last two home league games.

His performance against Sunderland was memorable not only for two well-taken goals- one smashed in with his right, the other a free kick curled home with his left- but also for an audacious attempt that so nearly proved a goal of the season contender. With the score at 1-0, Van Persie collected an Arteta pass, bamboozled Kieran Richardson with a cute dragback, and lofted a cheeky chip from the edge of the box that confounded the keeper but rebounded off the upright and out.

He is certainly Arsenal's best player, and his familiarity with the woodwork means he is probably the league's unluckiest.

There have been many improvements in Van Persie's game over the last few seasons. He is now very two-footed. He scores a lot with what he once termed his "chocolate leg", and the chipped effort in the Sunderland game also came courtesy of his right foot.

His team play has improved a lot since his early Arsenal days, when he was an exciting and often spectacular player with a very individualistic style that sometimes angered team mates.

He is more mature, more of a leader, deserving of the armband.

Lastly, and most importantly, he is scoring many goals, different goals. His vicious left foot and his considerable ability meant he was never starved of goals (except while injured), but in the early days, he was as likely to score from twenty yards as from three. Although never as averse to the tap in as Bergkamp, Van Persie was something of a DIY finisher, a man who would wait for the ball to be played to him, feint this way and that, then smash a shot from whatever angle he saw fit. It often made for spectacular viewing, but nobody ever suggested he was the much sought "fox in the box" that Arsenal are always said to lack.

Against Stoke, however, his match-winning brace was more reminiscent of Van Nistelrooy than Bergkamp. Both goals were the product of intelligent, hungry movement inside the box. And this is typical of Van Persie's output in the last few seasons. He is scoring more in and around the six yard box and this is why he is more prolific. It's actually been a while since he scored a truly spectacular goal- his free kick against Sunderland was the first such goal he has scored in a long time, and there has been nothing of late to rival his comic strip volley against Charlton or his sumptuous curler against Blackburn- but that does not matter, because he has become a better, more effective player.

New boy Gervinho has already shown frequent signs of a good understanding with the Dutchman. He may not be quite as quick as Walcott, but he uses his pace better when running with the ball. Walcott so often looks clueless when confronted with a full back and the ball at his own feet. Gervinho, on the other hand, has a handy habit of cruising beyond his marker with a sudden burst of acceleration. This led to Van Persie's two goals against Stoke, and also the vital equaliser in the away leg against Udinese. Gervinho also teed up the Dutchman's first against Sunderland with a nicely weighted pass. With this Arsenal team struggling to find much rhythm or swagger, the forging of some fruitful partnerships is vital. Signs are that there is genuine chemistry between these two.

Between the Sunderland and Stoke games, Arsenal executed a classic smash and grab in a sleepy Champions League game against Marseille, leaving qualification as group winners a distinct and welcome possibility. The game was a non-entity. Marseille's league form has been terrible, and they somehow managed not to trouble Arsenal's wobbly rearguard. With the match petering out in a dreary stalemate, a late attack saw Gervinho's micontrol fall kindly for Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman's first touch threatened to take him into traffic but he kept his composure and swept the ball home.

Last night, Arsenal reserves beat a strong Bolton side in the Carling Cup. Former Gunner Fabrice Muamba opened the scoring for the visitors, but Arshavin levelled with a fine run and finish. The Russian quickly turned provider. After another positive run he waited patiently to allow Park onside, then weighted his pass perfectly so that the Korean could shoot first time. His confident, curled finish was hopefully a sign of things to come, as Arsenal badly need another regular goalscorer to take some of that weight off Van Persie's shoulders.

So the last few games have provided some kind of lift in mood, but talk of a real revival may be premature. Arsenal have failed in all of the big tests so far, and while results are always paramont, there is still a feeling that lately, they have been labouring to victory against poor opposition. They have not played well for a solid ninety minutes, they still show no notion of how to defend set pieces, and they are still without an away win in the league. And next up, they go to Stamford Bridge.

So Much for the Gulf: Spurs 2-1 Arsenal

2011-10-05T13:08:00.005+01:00

I prefaced last November's North London derby at the Emirates- a game Spurs came from 2-0 down to win- with a post entitled "Is The Gulf of North London Closing?".

Consider it closed.

Last term, Spurs had the upper hand in head to head league meetings- they produced another comeback from a two goal deficit to force a draw at the Lane- but Arsenal were still way out in front overall. Spurs never threatened a title challenge, and fell back out of the top four, unable to balance the twin demands of Champions League and Premier League.

Now, without the distraction of Europe's premier competition, and having held onto Luka Modric, they look a better bet than Arsenal to challenge for a top four place. For the first time in a long, long time, they probably have a better team than the Gunners. And the old hoodoo is well and truly over. The days when Spurs could not buy a win against their North London neighbours are a receding memory.

I remember, during Arsenal's long unbeaten run against Tottenham, many games in which the gulf in class was not particularly evident. Arsenal rarely produced their fluent best against Spurs, and Spurs often took the lead in these games, but always seemed to choke. Arsenal had the ability to grind out at least a draw, and often a win.

That old grit is gone. This was Spurs' turn to play an average game and scrape through.

It might have been different had Gervinho buried a very presentable first half chance. Van Persie, who was otherwise subdued, skinned Kaboul on near the touchline, and cut back for his team mate, who snatched a miserable effort wide of the near post.

Minutes later, Spurs scored a fine goal that was two parts skill and one part luck. Adebayor picked up the ball in the kind of space that Arsenal too often afford opposition attackers, and flighted a pass over Mertesacker to Van Der Vaart. The Dutchman controlled with his upper arm and, as the ball sat up, struck a clinical shot across Szczesny and into the net.

It had, to that point, been typical Arsenal. An advantage in terms of possession is not really an advantage at all for this team. While they seemed in control for periods, and could point to Gervinho's missed sitter, the fact remained that Spurs had twice forced Szczesny into heroics before the goal. First Scott Parker and then Van Der Vaart were denied at close quarters. How many chances woudl the home side have created if they were in better attacking form? Also, despite Redknapp's needlessly gung ho selection of Modric, Van Der Vaart and Bale behind a front two of Adebayor and Defoe, Arsenal failed to turn a numerical midfield advantage into incisive attacking play.

Second half was largely more of the same. Arsenal equalised when Song took advantage of Van Der Vaart's lazy attempt to close down, and crossed low for Ramsey to turn the ball in. Again, despite Arsenal's possession and their illusion of control, the best chance came at the other end. Adebayor was played through by Van Der Vaart but his shot was turned wide. Another brillint save by Szczesny.

Which made the winner all the more cruel. Sleepy play by Arteta and Ramsey allowed an opening to form down Arsenal's right from a quick throw in (Sagna had departed with a bad injury, and Jenkinson was deputising). The cross found Modric, and his shot was blocked, but Kyle Walker seized on the ricochet and blasted an effort that the Pole seemed to be behind. The swerving ball skipped over his fingers and into the net.

Szczesny, depite his considerable talent, is a young goalkeeper and mistakes are inevitable. More disturbing was Arsenal's reaction to the goal. Or rather, their lack thereof. Barely three passes were stitched together by the men in red during the rest of the game. As the clock ticked down, Arsenal often struggled to get out of their own half. They looked resigned to their fate. They failed to fight convincingly for themselves, for the club, or for their manager.

Basel Expose United's Soft Centre

2011-10-01T17:21:00.001+01:00

United's suspect defence was evident in the defeat of Chelsea and even, strangely enough, in that ridiculous hammering of Arsenal. It was forgotten, naturally enough what with the lopsided scoreline, that Arsenal had chances after the break to bring the score back to 3-2 and make it at least a contest. Not that I'm suggesting that Arsenal would have won any points had that been the case. I'm merely pointing out that the praise of United up to this point has rather ignored their unusually soft looking defensive work.

There is an argument that the lower lights of the Premiership don't show enough ambition against United, especially in games at Old Trafford. United's fearsome home record is enough to psyche out most opponents, and managers tend to set their teams up defensively, hoping for a draw. Against many teams- Arsenal being an obvious example- defending deep in numbers and springing on the counter attack is a worthwhile ploy. But United typically play with tremendous width (Arsenal, as we know, don't), and their wingers tend to provide great service on a fairly consistent basis. When United need a late goal in a tight game, how often do they score from a cross? Ask the same question of Arsenal, and you get a very different answer.

In other words, defending deep against United has proven over recent seasons to be a fruitless strategy. Basel showed that, when you catch them on an off-night, attack really is the best form of defence. United found themselves 2-0 up thanks to Danny Welbeck's brace, but Basel had made chances and did not allow themselves to be disheartened by the deficit. Rather than fall back on damage limitation, they continued to plug away in attack, and plundered three goals to lead. It would have been an unprecedented result- Sir Alex Ferguson has never presided over a game in which United led by two goals and lost.

But Basel visibly tired in the latter stages, and United equalised very late when a super deep cross from Nani found Ashley Young in acres at the far post, and he nodded firmly downwards and into the back of the net.

Despite a very easy dra for the group stage, United find themselves with only two points from the first two games. They will still, of course, go through, but Basel's performance showed that United's impressive results in the Premiership owe a lot to a lack of strength in depth in that league.

Silva: Bergkampesque

2011-09-27T18:27:00.004+01:00

With Van Persie reaching a hundred Arsenal goals at the weekend, he invites comparison to another great Dutchman who played in North London- Dennis Bergkamp.

But it was a player in blue who reminded me of Bergkamp this weekend.

David Silva was paid an unwanted compliment by Everton manager David Moyes. The Scot tasked Jack Rodwell with following the Spaniard around the pitch, in an attempt to upset Manchester City's rhythm. To an extent, it worked- the match was tight, and the home side huffed and puffed, but eventually a deflected Balotelli shot broke the deadlock.

Then, in stoppage time, with Everton chasing the game, a poor pass gifted the ball to Silva, in space at last. He ran briefly at the exposed Everton rearguard, paused, turned and waited for the run of Milner, before flicking an exquisitely weighted through ball with the outside of his left boot. Milner could shoot first time, and managed to poke the ball through Howard for 2-0.

In his expert shielding of the ball, while waiting for the right moment to play the pass, he reminded me of Bergkamp's famous, audacious assist for Freddie Ljungberg against Juventus in 2001. The technique and weight of the pass brought memories of the non-flying Dutchman's amazing through ball to set up Vieira at Stamford Bridge in 2004.

I have to admit that when I saw Silva in Spain's team during Euro 2008, I thought of him as one of the weaker links in a very strong side, someone who finished off the moves of more talented players, but could never influence a game like Iniesta or Xavi or Fabregas. I thought of him as a sort of Luis Garcia figure- a midfield goal threat who would give the ball away a lot with ineffective flicks and tricks, but make up for that by getting on the score sheet.

I was wrong. He is thriving for City in a more central, playmaking role. He is one of the outstanding players in the Premiership at the moment. And if there is one criticism of his game, it's that he is actually not the goal threat I initially thought he was.

Even The Silver Linings Are Turning Grey

2011-09-26T16:30:00.002+01:00

Arsenal 3-0 Bolton

The first half was another slog, but the Gunners finally cut loose in the second to record a comfortable victory.

Bolton started well and could have opened the scoring early on. A fine volley from Darren Pratley was acrobatically repelled by Szczesny. Thereafter, Bolton pursued a policy of containment, and it worked very well for the duration of the first half. There were precious few openings.

The best came when Arteta released Gervinho with a defence-splitting pass. The winger's first touch was so woefully overhit, it was practically a back pass.

Van Persie curled just wide from a free kick, and Gervinho cut inside to blast a shot over the bar, but it was familiar, pedestrian fare at the Emirates. Arsenal's midfield was not responding well to some robust scrapping from Wanderers, and there was little in the way of creativity.

Seconds into the second half, Van Persie blasted the floodgates open. Gervinho was felled on the turn in a central position, and Mark Clattenburg played a canny advantage, allowing Ramsey to drive on. He found Van Persie in the box, and the Dutchman took a couple of touches to escape the attentions of Reo-Coker, and drilled a low shot inside Jaaskelainen's near post.

Bolton are even worse form than Arsenal, and a goal was always likely to dishearten them. They had still less cause for optimism after David Wheater was dismissed. Ramsey's through ball threatened to release Walcott, only for the winger to tumble under a light tug from the centre half. The kind of "dive" that is widely practised in modern football: feel the contact, take the fall. Wheater could have no complaints.

It says much about the fragility of this Arsenal team that even at home, against ten men, against a team that had shown so little adventure, they still gave up a reasonable chance. Bolton broke after an Arsenal corner and suddenly, Chris Eagles had a sight of goal, but his early shot was close to Szczesny and Arsenal escaped.

Walcott, in typically frustrating form, soon helped put the game to bed, speeding onto Ramsey's pass and squaring for Van Persie, who deftly shinned the ball beyond Jaaskelainen for his 100th Arsenal goal. Walcott was denied by the Finn in a one on one from Song's pass, before the Cameroonian iced the cake with a fine curled shot in the closing stages.

Some blessed relief in the form of a result, but the aftermath has provided more cause for tortured introspection. Van Persie, by a distance now Arsenal's most valuable player, has refused to commit to a new deal. His current contract runs out in a couple of years.

Looking at the current state of the team, and at the fact that Van Persie is 28 years old, you'd have to assume he is thinking seriously about a change of scenery next summer. That's without even contemplating the kind of pay rise Manchester City, or any of the other big spenders, could offer him.

The news comes mere days after Wenger admitted his concern that Arsenal cannot compete when offering deals to the top players. I read an interesting article a few weeks ago that suggested Wenger was at loggerheads with the board during the summer. The story went that while the board were willing to provide money for large transfer fees, they were not willing to change the club's wage structure. Thus, perhaps, the inability to complete the capture of Mata before Chelsea blew us out of the water.

The pay structure of the club is certainly in need of review. It seems that most of the first team players earn a similar amount. In effect, our best players earn less than they should, and our worst players earn much more than they should. Hence the trouble Arsenal have had with moving on players like Bendtner, Denilson, and Almunia. No club wants to pay those mediocre players the same money they've been earning at Arsenal.

Conversely, there will be plenty of clubs willing to offer RVP a nice juicy financial incentive to go and fulfill his sporting ambitions elsewhere. And frankly, it's hard to find many reasons he'd want to stick around.

Schoolyard Football: United 3-1 Chelsea

2011-09-20T20:17:00.004+01:00

It has been a strange but refreshing start to the Premiership season. Big games that had previously been cagey and cautious have produced an avalanche of goal and incident.

Mancini's Manchester City have even, unexpectedly, started to entertain. Judging from their loss of a two goal lead against Fulham at the weekend, that new outlook might have compromised their familiar defensive solidity. The absence of Nigel de Jong can't be helping that side of things either. But Nasri, Silva and Aguero are thrilling neutrals.

Two games involving the other big Manchester team have been emblematic of the adventurous start to the season. First, there was the unprecedented drubbing of Arsenal. Then, this weekend, another game of end-to-end attacking, mistakes, goals and glaring misses.

There could have been another ten goals, and this time they would have been shared more evenly. Chelsea, especially in the first half, were the better side, and can feel aggrieved to have lost by a two goal margin.

The goals were a mixture of the soft and the sublime. Early on, Smalling escaped the attentions of Chelsea's slack marking to power a header home from Ashley Young's swinging free kick. Replays showed he was marginally offside but the fact that Chelsea's players did not protest suggested that they had lost concentration. United doubled their lead with a spectacular strike from Nani, who collected the ball on the right (offside again?), swayed inside some challenges, and powered past a leaden footed Cech from the edge of the area. Right on half time, a Phil Jones run caused panic in Chelsea's rearguard, a floored John Terry attempted to clear, but the ball struck Nani and ran kindly for Rooney, who swept home from close range.

United had an interval lead that contradicted the balance of play. All their on-target shots had produced goals. They were attacking with menace at times, but Chelsea had peppered the United goal with efforts. Juan Mata was having an influence, and the Blues were playing with a swagger that suggested that Villas-Boas may be succeeding in starting to revolutionise their style of play.

Then again, there will only be rare occasions when they will face a midfield as open as United's was.

The first of the game's many glaring misses came at 1-0, and was surely crucial in shaping the outcome of the game. Mata attacked United's backline and released Torres in behind with a finely weighted pass. The Spaniard rightly squared the ball for Ramires, who seemed certain to score, but perhaps put off by Daniel Sturridge, stabbed a weak effort straight at the scrambling De Gea.

At half time, Villas Boas sized up Chelsea's predicament and, commendably, decided to chase the three goal deficit. He replaced Lampard with Anelka, moved the latter onto the left of the front three, and shifted Mata into the number 10 position. The change brought dividends almost straight from kick off. Anelka cut inside from the left, and played an excellent reverse through ball for Torres. The Spaniard, who was looking at last like his old self, full of pace and twists and turns, dinked imperiously over De Gea. It was a finish at odds with his wretched run of form over the last few months, and Chelsea were back in the game.

But now, with the schoolyard shape of the game continuing, it was United's turn to miss chances. Nani broke and smashed another thunderbolt off the bar. On the rebound, he was adjudged, harshly perhaps, to have been felled by Bosingwa. Rooney had a chance from the spot, but his standing leg gave way and he shanked the penalty wide.

He was wasteful again when an Evra run and cross found him six yards out. Rooney's left footed shot was scuffed, and dribbled off the post. Hernandez steamed onto the rebound but could only smash into the side netting, and was crippled for his troubles by Ashley Cole's nasty late challenge.

Shame then, with both sides missing easy chances, that the game will probably be remembered for the profligacy of one man, who may now struggle to ever reproduce the swagger of old. Torres was, along with Nani, the best player on the park. It was very much like watching the player of old only for one rather important factor- his finishing. While the goal was a beauty, there was a hat trick of head-in-hands moments. Early on, he conjured an opportunity for himself but snatched wide. Towards the game's final act, he jinked brilliantly on the edge of the area, and hit a decent left footed shot that was parried, but when the rebound bobbled his way, he leaned back and smashed skywards. Then, with only minutes left, the worst miss in a match of misses.

Again, there was brilliant play to make the chance. Ramires's through ball was incisive, and Torres confounded De Gea with a confident dummy. His touch brought him a little wide of goal, but the hard work was done and the finish should have been a formality. Maybe he relaxed too much, maybe he couldn't relax enough. The shot was tapped wide of the near post.

There was still time for one more scramble, as Rooney broke clear and squared to Berbatov, but a goal line clearance denied the Bulgarian's scuffed effort. United ran out, according to the scoreline, comfortable winners, but rarely has a scoreline been so misleading. Firstly, there should have been at least a few more goals. Secondly, Chelsea outplayed the hosts for long periods, particularly during a first half that somehow only produced goals for United.

While United's goalscoring exploits and their relentless attacking vigour are impressive, pundits are being a little rash in predicting a procession towards another league title. Statistics show that De Gea has been the busiest keeper in the whole league so far; as with City, United's new adventure has had an inevitable impact on their defensive solidity. The Champions can point, of course, to the absences of Ferdinand and Vidic. They have faced Arsenal and Chelsea with an unfamiliar back four featuring three youngsters, and while they never looked solid in either game, it doesn't matter much when you score eleven goals.

So the early advantage is undoubtedly theirs, but for City and, on this showing, Chelsea, there is still plenty of hope.

Oh Dear

2011-09-19T15:21:00.003+01:00

Another interesting weekend in the Premiership.
Yet another painful one for Arsenal.

Blackburn 4-3 Arsenal

The seriousness of Arsenal's problems was underlined. The defence, despite the presence of new boys Santos and Mertesacker, was its old shambolic self. The lack of belief among the players was clear in the manner in which they folded after Blackburn's second equaliser, and allowed the game to slip away. A late rally produced a goal, a grandstand finish, and a flurry of chances to level the game, but the damage had been done, and a salvaged result of any kind would only serve to paper over the widening cracks. Arsenal are in big, big trouble this season.

The first half was, in some senses, a reminder of the kind of football Arsenal are still sometimes capable of. Song, Ramsey and Arteta were impressive in midfield, and the two Arsenal goals were the result of some fluid, incisive attacking. Gervinho opened his Arsenal account from a clever, slide rule pass by Song. The shot took a slight deflection and beat Paul Robinson on its way to the far bottom corner.

Blackburn were not really in the game, but Yakubu punished Arsenal's defensive frailty with a smart finish when the worst offside trap in football malfunctioned again. The striker confounded the onrushing Szczesny with an early, audacious flick of his right boot, sending the ball rolling slowly but unstoppably into the corner of the net. A throwback to the kind of player he once was.

Arsenal responded some minutes later with the goal of the game. The midfield trio linked well again. Song released Ramsey down the right with another incisive ball, and the Welshman ignored the obvious option of firing across the six yard box, instead cutting back cutely for Arteta, who swept the ball high into Robinson's net.

Arsenal might have extended the lead before half time, when Arshavin forged an opportunity for Gervinho, but he saw his selfish attempt blocked, much to the ire of the better-placed Van Persie. Blackburn were granted a reprieve; Arsenal were to gift them a whole lot more in the second half.

The difference between the Alex Song of the first half and the one who emerged after the interval is symbolic of the brittle mentality of this Arsenal team, their violent mood swings. Song started the collapse with an own goal, although the fault was not all his. Rocha chipped in a free kick from Blackburn's right, and despite the lack of pace on the ball, nobody in red took decisive action. The ball struck Song and dribbled past Szczesny.

Rovers were pressing more effectively and Arsenal had lost the control they seemed to exert in the first period. More set piece mayhem saw the home side hit the front. A deep, driven corner left Koscielny butting at thin air and the ball dropped at the feet of Nzonzi. He blasted a cross-shot that was turned home by Yakubu, lurking marginally offside. No flag, another soft goal for Arsenal's extensive collection.

Arsenal mustered some pressure in response, and Van Persie dithered too long when presented with a decent chance, but the awful defence succumbed again, this time to a breakaway sucker punch. Blackburn countered at roaring pace and Djourou, on in place of the injured Sagna, was roasted by Olsson. The winger entered the area, beat Alex Song and turned the ball into the goalmouth where the increasingly inept Koscielny failed to sort his feet out in time and turned the ball comically into his own net. Two own goals, a two goal deficit, was there any fight left?

To be fair, there was, and Arsenal spurned enough chances to win the game. Chamakh scored a powerful, towering header from a wicked Van Persie cross, but the Moroccan was also guilty of a weak effort in stoppage time; Van Persie was denied on a couple of occasions by Robinson; Mertesacker headed over in the dying seconds; Walcott was denied a penalty shout. It was more frantic and desperate than it ever should have had to be. Going to a mediocre Blackburn side, you expect that if ou score three goals, it's job done. But this is the New Arsenal, and another ridiculous result has been added to the roll of dishonour.

correction

2011-09-14T05:52:00.000+01:00

No deflection on Perisic's strike. What a goal.

Dortmund 1-1 Arse

2011-09-14T03:43:00.002+01:00

As long as Arsenal can do their business at the Emirates- which has ceased to be a comfortable home- a draw in Dortmund should eventually be looked back on as a positive result.

Given Arsenal's recent troubles, it can already be viewed that way, but the feel good factor is lessened by the fact that the German side's equaliser came so late, after Arsenal had worked hard to cling to Robin Van Pesie's opener.

Overall, however, a draw was a deserved result for the home team. Arsenal could have no complaints. Again, the Gunners failed to find any real groove.

They did gain a lead, close to half time. As against Swansea, the goal stemmed from opposition sloppiness. A casual, underhit pass across the Dortmund back four was seized upon by the alert Van Persie, who slid into nudge the ball to Walcott. This time, the mistake left Arsenal with a bit more to do than aim the ball into an unguarded net, and what they had to do they did very well. Walcott played an unusually incisive through ball with his left foot. It was perfctly weighted for Van Persie, who smashed home impressively with his trusty "chocolate leg".

Arsenal failed to build on that and found themselves under the cosh for much of the second half. Still, this had the look of a difficult trip- would have been difficult even without the negative atmosphere around Arsenal at the moment- and so Arsenal's resilience is a good sign.

They came close to holding out for the 1-0, but were denied by a very late equaliser. Gibbs headed a free kick away, but only to the edge of the box, and Perisic struck a first time volley that dipped into the top corner, leaving Szczesny standing. While it initialy looked a wonder goal, I think there was a slight but crucial deflection off Benayoun.

After that there was time for another Dortmund chance, but Szczesny came to the rescue. His form has been the single biggest plus point of the season so far. There are so many problems on and off the pitch, so it is a relief that one of the longest standing issues- the lack of a top class goalkeeper- appears to have been solved.

A Win's A Win

2011-09-13T18:23:00.003+01:00

Arsenal 1-0 Swansea

Sometimes you need a dash of luck to lift you out of a rut.

Arsenal under Wenger have, even at their best, been a team of fragile confidence.

It took one unfortunate defeat at Old Trafford in 2004 to turn the 'Invincibles' into a vulnerable side again. They never recovered the old swagger.

In 2002/2003, I remember a run of four straight defeats, started by Wayne Rooney's wonder goal for Everton. That rotten run was only stopped by a comical Steve Marlet own goal in a tough away game at Fulham. Even that very good Arsenal team needed a helping hand.

The 2011 incarnation of Arsenal don't have the quality of past versions and so any win, in current circumstances, must be welcomed.

The luck came in two large slices.

First, Arshavin's goal. Well-finished, but he never should have been given the chance. The Swansea keeper inexplicably rolled the ball against the heels of his own defender, and the Russian found the net from a fairly tight angle.

It wasn't the last open goal of the game. In the last seconds, the otherwise fantastic Szczesny missed a corner, and the ball bounced down to Danny Graham, who swivelled but spooned the bouncing ball over the bar.

A big moment, potentially, in Arsenal's season.

The performance, after a promising start, was largely disjointed. Arteta played well and provided two gilt-edged chances at 0-0. Ramsey skewed the first wide, very early on. The second was bobbled past the keeper by Walcott, but cleared off the line.

The goal came at a time when Arsenal were, worryingly, starting to run out of ideas in their attempts to break Swansea down. And there was little improvement in that during the second period. The nerves jangled throughout, and Swansea looked to have more pace and vigour in attack when they did get forward. Arsenal's tempo was sluggish, but ultimately Swansea's attack could conjure nothing as telling as their goalkeeper's mistake.

While Arteta enjoyed a promising debut, he was not aided much by Frimpong's passing. Like many such energetic midfield players, Frimpong's distribution is very erratic. If he can smooth out the rough edges of his game, Arsenal will have a fine player.

Mertesacker had a decent game, although he would struggle to win a sprint against Cygan or Senderos. We can only hope he won't become as calamity-prone as that pair. But Arsenal's habitual high line does make things difficult for the German, as does another enforced absence for Vermaelen.

Good Haul?

2011-09-08T16:20:00.003+01:00

By Arsene Wenger's standards, it was a spree. But if that's panic buying, it's a pity he doesn't panic more often. Hindsight can be a bit of a pain, but it's hard not to look at the past few seasons and wonder what might have been achieved if similar deals were done then.

Instead, it took a long run of relegation form, culminating in a historic massacre at Old Trafford, to finally force the stingy Frenchman's hands into his bulging pockets.

And still, Arsenal haven't spent much. This constitutes no great betrayal of Wenger's ideals. It's a natural compromise that should have been struck a long time ago- bringing in some older, more experienced heads to help the youngsters along. Before, a hugely talented 24 year old midfielder was being asked to carry some dead wood and some promising but callow youngsters on his shoulders. Now that he is gone, the squad has been given more balance. Arteta and Benayoun are useful players, and although not really in Fabregas's league, they will bring character and they will fit with Arsenal's style of play. Maybe most importantly, they have Premiership experience. They should take a lot of the pressure off players like Ramsey, Wilshere and Walcott. Arsenal were in danger of becoming very reliant on some very raw young talent.

The Korean striker Park Chu Young is a player I know little about. He, like Benayoun and Mertesacker, is captain of his national team. With Bendtner's departure on loan, Arsenal needed a new frontman, and Wenger decided that Park fitted the profile. He was just relegated from Ligue 1 with Monaco, and does not have a history of prolific scoring, but a browse of YouTube (hardly the most accurate barometer of ability, I know) suggests that he has a great work rate and decent vision and touch in and around the box. It's hard for me to shake the perception that Bendtner has been hard done by, but hopefully the Korean can replace him as a useful understudy to Van Persie, or indeed to the first choice wide men, if that is where Wenger plans to use him.

It would have been ridiculous to leave Gael Clichy unreplaced, with Gibbs so clearly unable to stay fit for a sustained period, and to that end Wenger brought in Andre Santos, a Brazilian international who ought to be approaching his peak years. The word is that Santos likes to bomb forward, and may be suspect defensively. A consultation with YouTube suggests that he can only be loosely described as a left back, and comes from the Dani Alves school of adventure. He also has a very powerful left foot which will hopefully help banish the memory of Gael Clichy's years of wastefulness in the final third.

Lastly, Mertesacker. It was a bit of a surprise after the months of speculation regarding Cahill and Samba and Jagielka. It seems a bit of an obvious solution: team with hopeless inability to defend set pieces and aerial attacks signs 6 foot 6 German giant. Maybe this time, the obvious solution will work. Many have written him off because of his lack of pace, and that is sure to be exposed at times- even Vidic at United has had numerous roastings from nippy forward players. But if Mertesacker can provide the kind of consistency and solidity that the Serb typically gives to the Champions, his slowness won't matter much. There is the potential for a nice partnership with Vermaelen, when the Belgian's injury problems are finally left behind, as he is more aggressive and pacey.

What will be more important than anything is that Mertesacker- who is, like Arteta, Benayoun, and Park, a captain- can show his leadership abilities and help whip that defence into shape. They have looked chaotic on a fairly regular basis over the last few years and it needs to cease.

In the summer of 2001, Arsene Wenger made a lot of signings. Richard Wright, Junichi Inamota, Gio Van Bronckhorst, Franny Jeffers... none of those players had a big part to play in Arsenal winning the double that season, but one new signing did. Sol Campbell came from Spurs and helped to form a newly solid defensive unit. If Mertesacker can have a similar impact, Arsenal might yet scramble back into contention.

Eight Two.

2011-09-03T16:59:00.004+01:00

Eight fucking two.

It has taken me a week to recover enough to write this thing, and it has been an eventful few days since. Reinforcements have finally arrived, but I'll leave that for a seperate post. This one will focus on a game that will never be fully erased from the memory.

Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal

Even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans surely feared the worst. Sagna was added to the list of casualties, meaning the full backs were Jenkinson and Traore. The midfield consisted of Coquelin, Rosicky and Ramsey.

Given the personnel, there is an argument that attack was going to be the only form of defence. The front three was Arshavin, Walcott and Van Persie, so it was certainly a lot stronger than the makeshift back four. And Arsenal have, in the last few years, been incapable of shutting up shop and staying solid.

Sure enough, the game started in an open fashion, and kept going that way. It was immediately apparent that Arsenal were struggling to deal with the tempo of United's passing. The absence of Michael Carrick and the rejuvenation of Anderson invests their midfield with a lot more dynamism than was the case for much of last season. Their strength on the flanks and their fast, direct style meant they were set up to hit Arsenal where they were weakest.

With United playing Rooney and Welbeck up front, Arsenal had an apparent numerical advantage in midfield, but they only sporadically made it count. The tempo of United's passing stood in stark contrast to Arsenal's half-assed pressing. Wenger spoke afterwards of the draining effect of the Udinese game but to hear such excuses so early in the season is a bit much.

The Gunners needed the "senior members" of the back four to stand firm, but the first United goal exposed Djourou's alarming regression. With Walcott, yes Walcott, ranting at Jenkinson over some poor positional play, United took a quick throw and worked the ball infield to Anderson. The Brazilian's scooped pass initially looked more speculative than incisive, but Djourou inexplicably refused to attack the aerial ball, instead trying to block off Welbeck and allow Szczesny to claim. The ball bounced through, Djourou was outmuscled, and Welbeck nodded the ball over the keeper. An absolutely shocking goal to concede.

Soon afterwards, Arsenal found an apparent route back into the game. Arshavin played a nice ball behind Evans for Walcott, who made the most of some contact and went down. Shock horror, Howard Webb gave the penalty, but equally predictably, the usually reliable Van Persie's nerve failed him in Arsenal's theatre of nightmares. He abandoned the usual tactic of hitting hard to the keeper's left, and rolled it to De Gea's right. De Gea read it and made a routine parry.

Straight away, Ashley Young collected a pisspoor defensive header by Traore, weaved his way inside Coquelin, and bent an exquisite shot into the top corner from long range. That's when you knew it could get ugly.

The frightening thing is- it could have been even worse. Arshavin was throwing himself into reckless challenges and could have been sent off twice over.

Just before half time, goals at both ends. A panicky foul by Jenkinson on the edge of the area was punished by a spectacular Rooney free kick, then Walcott ran onto Rosicky's slide rule pass and fired through De Gea's legs. 3-1 at half time.

Easy to forget now, Arsenal's strongest spell came after the interval. There were two gilt-edged opportunities to turn the game back into a genuine contest. First, Rosicky flipped a ball over United's static backline, and Van Persie volleyed first time with his chocolate leg, only for De Gea to again deny him with a save at the near post. Van Persie had oceans of time to take the ball down and if he did so it surely would have been 3-2. Then Arshavin got through down the left and bore down on goal but snatched his shot just wide of the near post.

And then Arsenal fell to pieces. Coquelin was taken off, and United exposed the hole where a holding midfielder should have been protecting an awful defence. The wretched Djourou gave away a free kick within range, and again the foul was punished, again by an imperious Rooney free kick. He disguised his intention, wrong-footed Szczesny, and bent his shot in off the far post. Game over again, but that was only the beginning of the nightmare.

The next goal arrived a minute or so later and was an even better illustration of Arsenal's shambolic defending than Welbeck's opener. A swift United counter attack found Rooney on the edge of the area, and with half the back four stepping up, and half standing still, he slipped an easy pass through to Nani. The winger had all the time in the world to conjure yet another impudent piece of showboating for his Arsenal scrapbook, shaping to drill the ball and then dinking it over the flailing Szczesny. Exhibition stuff from United, but atrocious defending.

Park Ji Sung was introduced as a sub and it was not long before he scored his customary goal against Arsenal, benefitting from more woeful "defending" from Djourou and burying a left-footed shot into the corner from the edge of the box.

Van Persie was presented with an easy chance at the other end after good work from Jenkinson, and blasted home an angry shot to make it 6-2. Normal service was quickly resumed as Jenkinson was caught by the pace of Hernandez and bundled over the Mexican on the edge of the area. Second yellow for the young defender, but Rooney failed to complete a hat trick of free kicks.

A regular hat trick would do though, and he got that after Arsenal's nemesis Evra stormed into the box and was tripped by emergency right back Theo Fucking Walcott. Rooney sent Szczesny the wrong way. Seven goals conceded- unprecedented stuff. Another three goals for Rooney against Arsenal- and on the subject of Rooney, has any player been so awful and so sublime in the space of less than twelve months???

United were not finished. Near the end, they piled on the misery with a fourth belter, this time Young's second. Eight two. Amazing. As bad as Arsenal were, you could only admire the ruthlessness of United's finishing. At least four of the goals- Rooney's two free kicks and Young's two curlers- could only be classed as half chances.

To some extent, the result stemmed from exceptional circumstances- you would hope Arsenal will never again field a team like that in any league game, let alone at Old Trafford- but those circumstances were partly of Arsenal's making. Wenger did not ask for a lengthy list of injuries and suspensions, but he did discard players like Clichy, Denilson, and Eboue and failed to replace them with players ready for Premiership action. That's not to even mention the slow response to the Fabregas and Nasri debacles.

And for all the talk of Arsenal's makeshift defence, United's defence, midfield and even attack were all completely different to the norm from last season. Jones and Evans at centre back? Smalling at full back? Anderson and Cleverley in the centre of the park? Welbeck partnering Rooney? None of this is particularly familiar, but Ferguson and United are making it work, whereas Arsenal played like a bunch of strangers, and seemed resigned to their fate from the off. The game showed up the terrifying discrepancy between the two squads.

Whatever about the subsequent transfer action, the most worrying legacy of this game is the growing sense that nobody at Arsenal football club can coach defence. Arsenal have been ripped apart by good, bad and indifferent sides at pretty regualar intervals over the last few years and there is still no sign of anything being done about it. There has been too much talk, in fact, of a makeshift defence being an excuse for the result. Ok, two naive full backs, but Djourou and Koscielny were first choice players almost all last season. They are not awful players but Djourou in particular has suffered a worrying loss of form and you wonder if that would have happened if he was at a club that put more emphasis on the defensive side of the game.

As I said, this has been a problem for some time. You only need to look at the regular ridiculous scorelines Arsenal have been involved in since the start of 08/09. 4-4 at home to Spurs. 4-4 against Liverpool. Some crushing home defeats to both Chelsea and United. Losing at home to Spurs after leading 2-0. Drawing 3-3 with Spurs at the Lane after, yet again, leading by two goals. And who could forget the second half collapse at St James' Park.

And now this. But there is, perversely, more optimism around the club now. Maybe it needed a catastrophic result like this to open Arsene Wenger's eyes. Maybe the season can be salvaged from the wreckage of one result.

Storm Warning

2011-08-28T08:23:00.003+01:00

,Few Arsenal fans will forget the merciless pasting the team received at Old Trafford in 2001. Dwight Yorke scored a hat-trick, and Solskjear, Keane and the odious Teddy Sheringham piled on the misery as United mauled a makeshift Arsenal back line.

A young Ashley Cole played at left back, with Sylvinho in front of him. Oleg Luzhny was ripped apart on the other flank, while Igor Stepanovs and Gilles Grimandi proved an inept central defensive pairing.

Today, Arsenal face Manchester United at Old Trafford again, and as then, a gulf seems to have opened up between the sides. And this one threatens to endure. Back then, Arsenal's decline proved temporary. They bounced back very strongly. A year on, with Sol Campbell shoring up the defence, they produced a defensive masterclass to seal the double with a 1-0 victory at the same venue. Few would have predicted that on the day Yorke tore Arsenal to ribbons.

But the feeling is that if United hit their stride today they could dole out the same kind of humiliation we saw in 2001. And this time, Arsenal's ability to respond positively would have to be called into question. Young players could be scarred by a chastening defeat. Already disgruntled fans would again question the manager's hesitancy in the transfer market this summer.

It does seem staggering that a team of Arsenal's stature can enter a season in such tattered shape, but if the players can find strength in adversity, as they did in Udine, Old Trafford could provide a springboard for the rest of the season. An unexpected good result, or even a valiant effort, a gallant defeat, a performance of substance, could give us reason for cautious optimism.

Still, it's sad that things have reached a stage where Arsenal must look on a trip to Old Trafford with such trepidation, and so little expectation.

Crisis Averted- For Now

2011-08-26T03:29:00.003+01:00

Udinese 1-2 Arsenal (Agg 1-3)

Arsenal came out with a morale-boosting victory after an entertaining game against a positive Udinese team.

The first half in particular was thrilling, end to end stuff. For Arsenal, there seemed an acknowledgment that with an unfamiliar-looking midfield and defence, attack was the best policy.

But that inevitably left them vulnerable at times. There were a couple of real scares before the opening goal eventually came.

Di Natale served notice of his finishing prowess with a lovely, angled volley into the bottom corner, but was rightly flagged offside. Then he turned provider with a cross for Pablo Armero, who could not conjure a clean header, the ball bouncing off the post before another linesman's flag ended the scramble. Then came the biggest let off, when Isla rampaged down the right, and centred low for Di Natale, stealing in ahead of Djourou. The striker could only hit the post from close range.

After that, Arsenal showed some profligacy of their own. Gervinho produced a positive, direct run down Arsenal's left, beating challenges, advancing into the area, and then squaring for Walcott close in. The finish lacked conviction however, and Handanovic parried. He saved again from Van Persie's follow-up effort.

Shortly before half time, Udinese scored the goal that the game's quality had deserved, and it was a wonderful effort from Di Natale. Pinzi played a clever reverse cross from the right, that found the striker peeling away from Djourou and into space. The cross lacked pace, but from a standing position, Di Natale found power and accuracy, sending the ball looping beyond a static Szczesny and in off the post.

Arsenal weathered a storm until half time, and then responded well. Wenger was positive in replacing Frimpong, who was playing ok, with Rosicky, who became very influential in the second half. Udinese, perhaps tiring, dropped off a little, probably hoping to play their natural, counter-attacking game. The next goal was obviously vital, and Arsenal scored it. 55 minutes in, the impressive Gevinho again beat his man and cut back from the byeline, and Van Persie couldn't really miss from six yards out.

Before Arsenal could think of relaxing, Udinese were awarded a harsh penalty for Vermaelen's supposed handball. Di Natale stepped up and smacked the penalty, but Szczesny made a Seamanesque save, deflecting the ball onto the roof of the net with one strong hand. An amazing stop and one that helped break Udinese's spirit.

The game was made safe (well, maybe not quite where Arsenal are concerned) when Udinese's high line was caught out by a simple, incisive one-two between Walcott and Sagna down the left. Walcott sped through on goal, opened his body out for the Henry-style finish, but instead swept the ball confidently inside the near post. Job done.

A few players, and the manager himself, have to take a lot of credit for a very good result. Szczesny's save was vital, and his performance in general was superb, as against Liverpool. Rosicky helped change the game in the second half. And Alex Song was brilliant in that period, his use of the ball particularly impressive. Gervinho showed his abundant potential.

But there are holes in the current Arsenal squad that Manchester United will remain confident of exploiting this weekend.

Arsenal 0-2 Liverpool first impressions

2011-08-20T16:46:00.003+01:00

If it takes a nightmarish August to wake Arsene Wenger up, maybe it will be worth it.

But listening to the man talk about Arsenal's defeat afterwards, you would wonder if he is beyond waking up.

"I believe the goal was offside today. And that is absolutely scandalous, that every single decision in the last three or four months...."

He trails off here, perhaps at last losing belief in his own narrative of self-pity.

Suarez was, marginally, offside just before Miquel unluckily knocked the ball off Ramsey, over Szczesny and into the net. But this idea that "every decision" is going against Arsenal? First of all, why is he even dwelling on last season? Secondly, if he wants to dwell on last season, surely it would be more constructive to acknowledge Arsenal's tendency towards self-destruction, rather than blaming it all on some imagined official bias.

Maybe when Wenger talks of decisions in the last few months, he should talk about his own decisions in the transfer market. Spending substantial amounts on players of potential, players who cannot make an immediate difference, and ignoring the widely acknowledged need for experience, and for players who can make a difference now.

In some senses, Arsenal suffered bad luck today. They were missing players. Fabregas has departed. Song and Wilshere usually form a stronger base in midfield- both were missing. With Djourou and Gibbs out, losing Koscielny early on was harsh luck. It left Arsenal with three very inexperienced players on the pitch- Jenkinson at right back, Miquel alongside Vermaelen, Frimpong in central midfield. Sagna was out of position at left back, and Nasri was playing for a team that he wants to leave. None of this is ideal, and some of it is bad luck.

But "luck" is an overused word in football. Arsene Wenger had a long summer in which to get the Arsenal house in order, and he has failed to do so. That is what I personally find scandalous, over and above the fact that the linesman failed to spot Suarez a few inches offside.

He was surely aware of the likelihood of Fabregas's eventual departure. And of Nasri's desire to leave. Yet Arsenal have done no business as yet that will ease those losses.

Apparently, Arsenal missed out on signing Juan Mata because they allowed a deadline to pass and a buy-out clause to go out of date. That, too, is scandalous. If the club knows they are practically certain to receive sizable sums for two departing players, why are they still acting like they don't have money to spend?

Except, of course, on players that are young, have no experience of top-level football, and are unlikely to make much of a difference this season.

They may be stars of the future, but Arsenal need to start thinking of the short term, because make no mistake, there is a scrap on for 4th place this season.

Also on the subject of bad luck, it is not bad luck that got Alex Song suspended, it was stupidity. Likewise Gervinho.

And Frimpong's second yellow today was not remotely unlucky- it could have been a straight red. He is naive, enthusiastic. If you keep inviting a reliance on young and naive players, that's the kind of "luck" you get.

In summation, it was not a totally unexpected result, considering the shape Arsenal are in at the moment. That Arsenal are in such a mess is, in my view, solely down to the manager, and he deserves little sympathy. There is a bad atmosphere around the club at the moment, and booing at the end of the season's first home game, played in such difficult circumstances, is disappointing; but it's also understandable.

The players did not fall short in terms of effort and I think it should be understood that the jeers are not really directed at them but at their manager. The bad atmosphere was present at the end of last season, but the arrogant Wenger has allowed it to grow and grow over a summer of inaction and that, more than injuries or misfortune, is the reason Arsenal are in a sorry state at the moment.

Only three points were lost today, on the face of it, but it does not bode well for the rest of the season, or indeed for the next few days. The squad is already decimated, confidence is low, and Udinese will scent blood in their efforts to overturn a narrow deficit in that vital Champions League qualifier. Then, next weekend, it'e very hard to see how Arsenal can get a result at Old Trafford.

The manager's downbeat demeanour is also a bad sign so early in the season. As is the constant flipping and flopping over Nasri. Should he stay or should he go? Is there any plan at all?

If August continues in such a miserable vein, it becomes more likely that Wenger will abandon his trademark caution and make the kind of signings we should have had tied up weeks ago. But even with some worthy additions, it's already shaping up to be a very difficult season.

Patronising, Moi?

2011-08-17T16:44:00.002+01:00

Greatness can breed hubris.

Arsene Wenger is (was?) a great man, a great manager.

He transformed Arsenal FC.

But these days, he often sound arrogant, stubborn, out of touch.

He had the nerve to suggest that the Arsenal fans who are voicing their justifiable frustrations have been manipulated into that position by the media.

What a patronising attitude.

Everybody saw the embarrassing way Wenger's team imploded last season.

Everybody read his promise to mend the team through a summer of action.

Everybody has held their breath through a summer of inaction.

And everybody has seen Arsenal's best player, and one of their better ones, seek a way out.

There is no need for the media to put any spin on that.

People are capable of forming their own opinions.

But Wenger has become so arrogant he no longer respects any opinion but his own.

Even if the opinion is coming from real Arsenal supporters.

His name is Arsene. The club's name is Arsenal. If someone was new to watching football, and saw the way he runs the club, they would be forgiven for thinking that he created the club and named it after himself. He is a dictator and he no longer heeds dissenting voices.

It is not a healthy state of affairs.

Fabregas 2003-2011

2011-08-17T16:17:00.002+01:00

Any reasonable man could only be happy for Cesc Fabregas. He has gotten his wish- a move back home, to play for the best team in the world, the best team many of us have ever seen.

As an Arsenal fan, however, his departure is a sad moment. It sums up Arsenal's current status as a selling club- developing talent, then feeding it to the big boys.

Before, Arsene Wenger got the best out of his big players before they moved on. Overmars, Petit, Vieira, Henry. Their best years were at Arsenal.

Cesc Fabregas is only 24. At Arsenal, the total reward for his endeavours, in trophy terms, is a solitary FA Cup, won in flukey fashion against Manchester United in 2005.

Few would deny that he is moving on to better things, even if he might have to sit on the bench for a while. In fact, considering his recent injury-plagued seasons, some bench time may be the very best thing for Cesc at the moment.

He goes from being Arsenal's top dog to another mega-talented cog in the well-oiled Barca machine.

Fabregas may well, in the final analysis, be seen as the greatest player who ever played for Arsenal. The lack of success at the club during his time there is not down to Fabregas. In a cruel twist of fate, his best years at Arsenal came at a time when the club could not afford to spend substantial amounts of money.

Arsenal's other recent midfield great, Vieira, left weighed down with medals. But he played with Bergkamp, Petit, Overmars, Henry, the old back four, Seaman, Ljungberg, Pires, Gilberto, Campbell... throughout his Arsenal career, Vieira was a big character in a team of big characters.

Fabregas was blooded alongside Gilberto and Vieira in the 04/05 season. After that season, Vieira left, and from then on, experienced players were sold, and not brought in. By 07/08, Fabregas was the team's de facto leader, despite his youth. The squad was now so light on leaders that the mentally fragile William Gallas was given the armband. This ended in well-documented disaster, and Fabregas was made captain in 08/09.

For the last three seasons, Fabregas has been asked to carry some fairly mediocre players. Patrick Vieira never had to do that. He fought admirably for the cause, but you can't help feeling depressed over the last few years. One of the finest midfielders in the world, but without a team worthy of his talent. The last good partner he had was Flamini (07/08). Maybe Diarra could have complimented him well, but Wenger ditched him, even in the knowledge that Flamini was likely to leave on a free that summer. And when Xabi Alonso wanted to join Arsenal at the start of 08/09, the move collapsed because of some trademark Arsenal penny-pinching. Missed opportunities abound. Fabregas has had some very kind words for Wenger, but I think the manager let his best player down.

It has been an extended period of transition- one still ongoing- and whatever Wenger's public proclamations, the club's main priority has been to qualify every year for the Champions League.

They have done so. Without Fabregas, this would not have been the case. Will it continue to be the case, now that he's gone?

The Post-Cesc Era Begins: Arsenal 1-0 Udinese

2011-08-17T15:31:00.002+01:00

A good result, considering the team Arsenal fielded. The season is only beginning, but the squad is already stretched almost to breaking point.

Two clean sheets from two games may suggest signs of a new defensive solidity, but scorelines can be misleading. Arsenal's high line was broken with disturbing ease at times. This happened as much through unforgivable sloppiness from those in red as it did from Udinese's creative prowess.

That said, the Italians remain a very decent side, despite some high profile departures in the summer. The Italian season has not yet started, but they still looked the more coherent outfit.

Arsenal's nerves were, of course, not helped by successive injuries to Gibbs and his replacement Djourou, leaving Karl Jenkinson to enter the fray second half. Yet another injury to Gibbs; the fact that Arsenal need a new left back is blindingly obvious to all but Arsene Wenger.

The early goal was pleasingly direct and well-taken by Walcott. Sagna's ball over the top was clever, Ramsey's run and perfect cross provided a snapshot of the kind of cutting edge he is capable of providing, and the winger's confident finish was another reminder that he would be more comfortable up front than falling over himself on the wing.

After that, a clean sheet was paramount. That Arsenal kept Udinese out was largely down to Szczesny, who had a very solid game. But the tie remains very much alive. Di Natale was unlucky on occasion- his free kick rattled the bar and he was also denied by an excellent Djourou block- and one feels he will fancy his chances against the Arsenal rearguard next week.

Marouane Chamakh's wretched display provides yet more cause for worry. The hope at the start of this summer was that Wenger and Gazidis, having watched on in horror as the team collapsed last spring, had a concrete plan as to how to get the Gunners back on track this season. All the evidence suggests that there is no real plan at all, or that Wenger's plan is a very risky one, perhaps one only he understands.

With Gervinho apparently earmarked for a role as a wide forward, and Bendtner apparently on his way out, Chamakh is the squad's only obvious understudy for the notoriously brittle Van Persie.

But Chamakh is suffering from a clear, extended crisis of confidence. It is easy to forget how impressive he was when he was Arsenal's only fit striker in the early days of 10/11, and we cannot say that he will not be impressive again, but he is certainly struggling at the moment. He has not had a decent game in 2011.

Van Persie's injury record suggests that Chamakh will at some point this season have to shoulder the burden up front. Is Wenger confident in his ability to do so? It is far from an ideal situation. But Arsenal have stopped dealing in ideal situations.

In 09/10, Wenger practically threw Arsenal's title hopes out the window with his refusal to sign a striker in January when Arsenal did not have a single fit front man. He knew Chamakh was coming for free in the summer, and so he sat on his hands, and we were presented with the ridiculous spectacle of Arshavin playing as centre forward in a couple of massive games.

There is uncertainty in every area of the pitch. Szczesny is a goalkeeper of great promise, but his understudy is a mistake waiting to happen. The defensive unit is suspect and ravaged by constant injury. Squillaci is seen, rightly or wrongly, as one of Wenger's worst signings. Of course, the defensive burden should be shared by the team as a whole, and when the most defensive-minded of your midfielders is the strolling, complacent Alex Song, you know you're in trouble.

What the central area lacks in solidity, it may now also lack in creativity. Europe's most prolifically inventive midfielder has just left, and two young, promising British players look as if they will be tasked with replacing him. No pressure, lads.

Up front, a strikeforce that looked toothless through much of last season may look even less threatening without Fabregas's service. Van Persie's record in 2011 speaks for itself, but so does his injury record, and Arsenal don't have another player with the same goal threat. Walcott is a good finisher but in Arsenal's current formation he can only play on the wing, and on the wing he often looks clueless. Arshavin is undeniably talented but also erratic and frustrating. Nasri could be on his way, and even if he stays another year, few would trust his attitude to hold up very well. Gervinho looks a decent signing but will take time to bed in.

2010/11 was a thoroughly unconvincing campaign. Arsenal, despite the myth to the contrary, did not often thrill with their football, and their contention in the title race was the result of glaring weaknesses in all the other challengers. They collapsed so completely in the final weeks that they finished 4th in a two horse race.

Despite fighting talk at the end of that season, Arsenal have now embarked on the new one with the squad clearly weakened. Fabregas is gone, Nasri is going, and while some of the perceived dead wood has been cleared, the only new arrivals are young players unproven at the highest level. Arsenal were very weak last May and now they are weaker.

It is hard to see Arsenal navigating the next three games with anything other than great difficulty. There may well be uproar at the first negative result. Wenger will see it as unfair but he alone has engineered this situation.

False Start: Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal

2011-08-15T16:40:00.002+01:00

Considering the current state of things at Arsenal, an away point can be seen as a decent start. It can be.

It can also be seen as worrying. Arsenal's next two league games are against Liverpool and Manchester United. If those games don't go well, then a point at St. James' Park will look like a bad result.

The performance did not provide much cause for optimism either. Against a very ordinary Newcastle team, Arsenal failed to create chances. Van Persie looked unfit and with the Dutchman not carrying his usual threat, the Gunners looked lacking in ammunition. At the start of the game there was a good tempo and signs that Gervinho can help restore a more direct thrust to Arsenal's play in the final third, but as the contest wore on, you became more aware of the Cesc-shaped hole in the middle of the pitch. Wilshere's absence did not help matters. But for one exquisite dink over the top from Arshavin that should have been buried by a dithering Van Persie, Arsenal lacked invention. Rosicky played well but he is nearly as incisive as Fabregas and while Ramsey has abundant potential, his passing game remains slightly erratic.

More happily, Newcastle posed little threat themselves. Koscielny and Vermaelen linked well and comfortably repelled most of what the Magpies had to offer- which was, in fairness, very little. Unfortunately, not every Premier League forward is as impotent as Shola Ameobi.

The main talking point stemmed not from the insipid footballing "action" but from a late bout of handbags that saw debutant Gervinho dismissed. The new boy went down easily under a challenge in the area- replays showed that there was some contact and thus a penalty may have been justly awarded- and the wonderfully entertaining Joey Barton arrived frothing at the mouth. He grabbed Gervinho, yanked him around a bit, and as players crowded around, was felled by a slight slap to the chops. In an ironic twist, Barton, having been enraged by what he perceived as brazen play-acting, clearly informed some Arsenal players that he had been punched.

To find out what a punch looks like, check out YouTube, where you can find CCTV footage of Joey Barton beating seven shades of shit out of a man during a night out.

It is greatly amusing, and a little disturbing, that a man twice convicted of assault can get high and mighty about the idea of gamesmanship, especially when he then responds with his own act of, well, gamesmanship. But I do enjoy Joey Barton. He's more entertaining than the football was on Saturday.

Bad Mood Rising

2011-08-01T15:28:00.002+01:00

The cynic in me is tempted to say that the draw with NY Red Bulls at the weekend represented the end of Arsenal's hopes of silverware for another season.

But seriously: jeers at the end of a friendly game? Has the world gone mad?

Arsenal's fickle followers are finding new ways to voice their disapproval. It seems ludicrous that a draw in an essentially meaningless game can have any negative effect, let alone provoke such discontent, but that is a measure of the mood around the club. The supporters are clearly angry that there has not been more pressure on Wenger to succeed from the board, and they are compensating by voicing their own doubts about the manager.

The games against Boca and New York did showcase failings that are frustratingly familiar, but the booing was about so much more than that. There was talk as the summer began that Arsenal would be active in rebuilding a malfunctioning team. So far, with the new season closing in, that talk has proven empty. It has been a struggle getting rid of the unwanted players. And as for bringing in new blood, Wenger seems to be falling back on the old option of waiting to see which of our stars leaves, and for how much, before searching for replacements.

People would feel a lot better about the possibly impending departure of the skipper if a player of similar, established quality had already been brought in. Hell, if Wenger's ambition was really, as he claims, to keep players like Fabregas and Nasri, the best way to do it would be by buying more top class players.

By refusing to do so, for whatever reason- idealistic stubborness, lack of funds- he can surely only reinforce the desire Fabregas and Nasri to seek a new start.

The manager is on shakier ground than ever before, as illustrated by the behaviour of the fans at the Emirates Cup. It was unsavoury, sure, but it's an apt example of just how pissed off a lot of people are.

Wenger is not acting as sure-footed as he once did. His desire is to exact the right price from Barcelona, but if the debacle drags on until the end of this month, who will win the game of bluff? Is Wenger really going to hold the boy against his will? For another season lacking in real promise at Arsenal? Barcelona may well be playing a clever game. Wenger does not want an unhappy player on his hands, no matter how talented that player is.

What, then, of the Nasri situation? It seems the manager is willing to keep him another season, then lose him for free. That suggests that, with Fabregas gone, Wenger does not see adequate replacements on the market and feels that losing Nasri too could lead to collapse.

But is Nasri the kind of character to pull up his socks and try to inspire a team he knows he will soon leave? I have grave doubts about that. And Wenger would only be postponing the problem of replacing him. And would have less money with which to do so.

They used to say Arsene Knows. It doesn't seem likely that the boss, or anyone around the club, knows quite what's in store for the coming season. But there's a bad mood rising, and the fixture list has thrown up a difficult start.

In the recent past, Arsene Wenger would have been astronomical odds to lose his job during the course of a season. Those days are over. The team that can't handle pressure will have to deal with it from the get-go in this camppaign. Can they dig the manager out of this hole? Can he take his head out of his own?

Bendtner: Hard Done By?

2011-07-30T06:33:00.003+01:00

It will be hard to banish the memory of last season's troubles, but some of the men who played a starring role in the collapse look to be on the way out.

Eboue will leave us with the memory of that foul, Bendtner with the memory of that miss. Almunia will leave us with a scrapbook of calamitous moments.

But Bendtner's apparent status as dead wood seems a little unfair. His constant self-promotion does invite ridicule, because he is often clumsy and wasteful and does not deserve the lavish praise he gives himself.

But more than anyone else in the last couple of seasons, he has given Arsenal a different dimension in attack. He has also- and this cannot be said of many Arsenal players- never hidden, and did a lot to give Arsenal a chance in 09/10, scoring some important goals.

Chamakh started exceptionally, but as it stands now, who would you back to score an important goal for Arsenal in a big game? Chamakh is an amazingly shot-shy striker- a practical parody of the perception that Arsenal "always try to walk it in". He may be a better team player and is as strong in the air as Bendtner but he is less of a goal threat overall and has not as yet looked comfortable in an Arsenal shirt.

The great contrast between Bendtner and Chamakh is that one has a cocksure arrogance and the other looks to be full of self-doubt. Neither of them are world class strikers but when the chips are down you'd rather have a man who believes in his own greatness than one who is all-too-aware of his own limitations.

Bendtner has been scapegoated for many things- his inadvertent block of Fabregas's shot against Liverpool in that Champions League tie will live long in the memory- but at the end of the day, it's not his fault that Arsenal are chokers. In fact, he's less a choker than many of the other more lauded members of the squad.

More Summertime Ramblings

2011-07-29T15:16:00.002+01:00

Arsenal are being heavily linked with a couple of pricey moves- for Everton's Phil Jagielka and Valencia's Juan Mata.

The news suggests that a Fabregas move is only a matter of time. There is no way Wenger would spend 15 million on Jagielka and 20 on Mata, on top of the 10 on Gervinho, if there was not a substantial amount coming in.

If I may speculate, the plan is probably this: push through those two moves and, if Barcelona offer around 40 million, send Cesc home.

It's hard to see Fabregas staying any longer even if Arsenal have to compromise and accept a bit less. Wenger wants to get what the player is worth, but he has never been a man to hold onto an unhappy player and Fabregas clearly doesn't want to hang around anymore.

It's a strange situation. He's by far Arsenal's best and most important player, and he would walk into any team in the world- except Barcelona. Barcelona are being asked to spend 40 million on player who would in all likelihood warm the bench for much of the next season or two. You can understand their reluctance to pay big bucks, but they have engineered this situation. They could have waited a year or two to make their move, and then Xavi would be at an age where he would probably welcome some bench time himself. Instead, they have waged a relentless campaign to unsettle a player they want but don't really need. Fabregas's desire to go home and win some medals is palpable, but I'd love it if he realised that Barcelona are being disrespectful to both him and Arsenal, and decided to hang about for one last tilt at the title with the Gunners. I'd certainly rather Fabregas stay one more year and leave for 40 million than Nasri stay one more year and leave for nothing. Sadly, it seems the latter is much more likely.

Jagielka- a good player. He has Premiership experience and that, more than anything, is what Arsenal need at the back. Again, it seems Wenger has decided against bringing in a more physically imposing centre back. Samba and Cahill may be bigger men but Jagielka is a better player and his name alongside those of Vermaelen, Djourou and Koscielny makes up, on paper at least, a very strong quartet of central defenders.

But don't be surprised if both of these mooted deals fall through. This is Arsene's Arsenal after all.

Modric: The Missing Piece in Chelsea's Champions League Jigsaw?

2011-07-20T13:42:00.002+01:00

For an expereince Chelsea side with an inexperienced manager at the helm, the Champions League remains top priority. In the Premiership, Drogba, Terry, Lampard and co have tasted success. But their hunger for European glory grows as their careers wind down. Terry in particular must surely be haunted by his penalty miss in the 2008 final's shootout against Manchester United.

There is a real sense now that it will be difficult for any club to challenge Barcelona's European dominance, but we should not forget that in 2009, Chelsea were seconds from beating them. If their power has always troubled Barca, it has been a lack of guile that has left them short against Inter in 2010, United in 2011, even as far back as Liverpool in 2005 and 2007.

Since the days of Mourinho, Chelsea have never operated with a central orchestrator- someone like Deco in Mourinho's Porto, or Sneijder in his Inter Milan. Lampard has played for years in a similar position, but in a very different style. While his consistent performances and impressive goalscoring feats have proven invaluable to Chelsea over the years, he has never looked like conjuring a creative piece of magic in a tight European game. And his central role in the team has left no room for a playmaker to flourish.

Lampard is now 33 and ought to be moving towards the end of a fine career. He showed signs of decline last season and these facts suggest that Chelsea's pursuit of Luka Modric is very much warranted. With Lampard on the way out, Chelsea have the opportunity to build their midfield around a different kind of player, one who will not score half as many goals but who could potentially revolutionise their often insipid style and, vitally, make chances for Torres.

If Torres recaptures his best form, and nudges Drogba aside, and Modric arrives and does the same to Lampard, it should freshen up Chelsea's style. And it could also make them a real threat in Europe.

Liverpool clearly miss Alonso...

2011-07-07T07:27:00.002+01:00

...because they've just bought Charlie Adam for 7 million!!

Kenny Dalglish's policy of filling his squad with overpriced English talent continues- he's also pursuing Stewart Downing, for whom Aston Villa want a whopping 19 million.

Xabi Alonso has been a huge loss for Liverpool. Their midfield has never since shown anything like his expansive passing range, and Steven Gerrard in particular has faded badly since he lost the partner that really made the team tick.

Liverpool went from challenging for the title in 08/09, with Alonso setting the tempo, to struggling throughout the following two seasons with the Spaniard in Madrid.

Now, it seems, Dalglish is looking to replicate Alonso's impact with the signing of Adam. Adam does share the Spain player's ablity to ping inch-perfect passes over long distances, and his set piece deliveries are excellent.

But his weaknesses may attract more notice in a high profile team like Liverpool. His plodding pace is another attribute he shares with Alonso, but he does not have the Spaniard's ability to shield the ball, and is too often caught in possession- sometimes in dangerous areas in front of his defence.

His constant reversion to long, raking passes can become repetitive, and his accuracy is not totally consistent. Liverpool already have one midfielder who habitually pings over-ambitious Hollywood balls to cede possession; two may be too many.

But at 7 million, it's hardly the riskiest deal we've seen Liverpool seal recently.

Nasri: Dangerous Game

2011-07-07T02:25:00.003+01:00

Word is that Arsenal have already rejected a bid of almost 20 million for the wantaway Frenchman, from Manchester United, and told them to come back with 5 million more.

It's a daring ploy, because 20 million is already a hell of a lot of money for a player entering the final year of his contract. Even if he is wonderfully talented. United may draw the line there.

But perhaps the point is to lure Manchester City, who would of course be more obviously willing to part with a substantial sum.

For Nasri personally, United would be the more obvious fit. Alex Ferguson would grant him far more attacking freedom than would Roberto Mancini.

Money may talk on City's behalf, but if playing style and prestige are a concern, then United ought to be Nasri's first choice.

Either way, his likely departure is an ominous sign for Arsenal. All of the clubs linked with his signature- United, Chelsea, and City- finished above Arsenal last season, and all are looking to strengthen while for the Gunners, there is only a struggle to stand still. Genuine, lasting progress on the pitch has been elusive for some time, and as long as the squad is in flux, with some of its better players so often leaving for new pastures, it would be unrealistic to expect trophies or glory.

As it stands, this is the summer that Arsenal's true standing in the game really hit home. There were hopes that the Emirates Stadium would help elevate Arsenal to a higher plane, and that may still be so, but so far it is a slow, laborious process. The lack of any injection of cash from a member of the board, the lack of megabucks sponsorship deals, and the lack, until this summer, of clever commercial initiatives to open up new markets, has ensured that Arsenal's progress as a club has been minimal, in terms of their financial power. As Myles Palmer says, at Highbury, they were the world's biggest small club, and at the Emirates, they are the world's smallest big club.

So, sadly, although his own behaviour has been despicable, especially when contrasted with that of Fabregas and Clichy in similar situations, there remains an element of truth to Nasri's claims that his desire to leave stems from a sense of ambition. There seems, for the next few years at least, a concrete limit to what Arsenal can achieve. United and City both won trophies last year and have the potential to win many more. And if money is a factor, so what? Only in football are people condemned for wanting to move to a job with better money.

We may debate Nasri's class and his character, and whether he has really earned the right to demand astronomical wages, but the fact that he has attracted the interest of three better teams speaks for itself. He has great quality and the basis for his desire to leave is fairly sound. The way he has conducted himself, however, leaves a bitter taste.

But that's the way of Arsenal in recent years. One season's hero is that summer's wantaway villain. Wenger's frugal policy has not bred success, and that perhaps is forgivable. But nor has it bred loyalty in his best players. So he will spend more on potential, develop that potential into another star, the star will decide he's too bright for the Emirates, and the cycle will continue.

Cesc: Liberation Theory

2011-07-06T13:22:00.002+01:00

[CLUTCHING AT STRAWS]

It looks like the captain is set to finally get his move. His feelings are clear, and few would have any ill will towards him.

Barcelona stil refuse to pay the money they should. Arsenal apparently want 40 million, and in fairness, considering some of the prices we have seen paid in the last few years, and indeed this summer, for lesser players, 40 million should be a minimum asking price.

He is probably the best midfielder in the world outside of the Barcelona team. The irony being, he is going to the one place where he will not be guaranteed a starting place.

Of course, the last time Arsenal lost their "captain and best player" was with the departure of Thierry Henry in 2007, also to Barcelona. Despite the apparent enormity of this loss, and the lack of a marquee replacement (Eduardo da Silva was brought in), Arsenal were much better in 07/08 than in 06/07. They led the league table for much of the season, only to suffer the now-familiar implosion in the run-in. Throughout the season, there was a sense that players who had been happy playing second fiddle to the "star" of the team were now taking on more responsibility, and thriving.

Numerous individuals, and the team as a whole, showed massive improvement on the previous season.

So does this memory offer cause for cautious optimism in the face of Fabregas's impending flight?

It is certainly likely that some players have looked to Fabregas to win games for Arsenal, and been happy with their own smaller share of the responsibility. Fabregas is a ceaselessly creative player and the onus was always on him to make the chances, despite the fact that Arsenal have plenty more players who would call themselves "creative midfielders".

In the space Henry left up front in 2007, Adebayor came into his own, transforming himself from an often frustrating, clumsy forward into a strong, pacey goal machine a la Drogba. Could one of Arsenal's remaining midfielders step up in similar fashion after Fabregas leaves? There will certainly be high hopes for Wilshere and Ramsey, and this may make Wenger reluctant to splash cash on an obvious, direct replacement for the Spaniard.

But overall, the expectation has to be that Arsenal will struggle without their skipper. The nucleus of players at the Emirates now is not as strong as it was in 2007. And let's not forget that Fabregas himself was already an outstanding player despite his youth. He made huge strides at the time, adding goals to his trademark vision. He was helped by the fact that Mathieu Flamini made amazing progress, from a squad player to a midfield lynchpin. Much will depend now on whether one of our current "squad players" can show the kind of desire to improve that Flamini did. Diaby? Denilson? I don't think so. Perhaps Alex Song will continue his steady progress, but the suspicion is that Arsenal need an injection of true grit in the centre of the pitch.

Fundamental to this debate is the difference in personality between Henry and Fabregas. Neither could be called natural leaders, but Henry was often an unpleasant, overbearing character and this certainly affected team mates at times. Just ask Jose Reyes.

Fabregas is just as talismanic a figure as Henry was, but he does not have the rampaging ego, and was never seen berating or staring down team mates. You could say that oftentimes, the team played for Henry, but Fabregas always played for the team. His vision and passing ability invite comparison to Dennis Bergkamp- they share a status as the kind of players who make lesser team mates look better.

In other words, while some players may have been secretly pleased with Henry's departure, it is hard to imagine anyone waving good riddance to Cesc Fabregas. Will they choose to wallow, as they so often do, or will be the catalyst for a revival in some stagnating careers? Over to you, Arshavin, Diaby, Denilson etc.

Goodbye Gael Clichy

2011-07-05T05:53:00.003+01:00

The left back has left Arsenal, joining Man City for 7 million.

Because he only had a year remaining on his contract, and because most observers now routinely question both his defensive and attacking prowess, that's decent money.

Whether it's a good deal overall depends on a couple of other factors.

If Wenger is not going to sign a direct replacement, but rather depend on Kieran Gibbs, it's worrying. Gibbs has looked a good player in spells but those spells have come sporadically. He's had more injuries than impressive performances.

We also know that Thomas Vermaelen can play at full back as well as in the centre, and that Arsenal are chasing a centre back, so perhaps a positional shift could be on the cards for the Belgian. That would be a pity considering his impressive first season, but he would surely provide more solidity on the left of Arsenal's defence than Clichy ever did.

Of course, after his almost season-long absence through 10/11, there is uncertainty now over Vermaelen's fitness aswell.

It would not say much for Arsenal's immediate ambitions if Wenger does not spend on another left back. If he wanted Clichy to stay, then he did not want Gibbs to take over. Allowing a young understudy a first team chance is what Wenger usually does though, so I won't hold my breath for a new signing in this area.

Clichy's Arsenal career has had, at least in the last four years or so, a gradually declining trajectory. When Arsenal had experienced players, Clichy slotted in and although a raw talent, looked like he could develop into a fantastic player.

He has roaring pace and endless stamina, but the mental side of the game has always presented problems for him. His most common defensive contribution of note was to win the ball with interceptions high up the pitch and set up counter attacks. But he was often led a merry dance by tricky wingers, his positional sense is shown up regularly, and as the more experienced pros flooded out of Arsenal, more and more mistakes crept into Clichy's game.

Many now see him as a liability. And the attacking threat suggested by his pace was never really much of a threat, because his final ball is horrendous. He has hardly produced ten decent crosses in his eight years at the club.

And he, more so than William Gallas, proved the catalyst for Arsenal's 2008 implosion. Gallas's meltdown was a response to Clichy's utter stupidity.

Wenger's Revolution: Leaders Out, Mercenaries In?

2011-07-01T02:16:00.003+01:00

One possible defence of the Arsenal manager is: He cannot do anything about the mercenary culture in football today. If Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy refuse to accept perfectly fair contract terms, because they get the whiff of bigger bucks elsewhere, what can the manager do? He has taken these players under his wing, trusted them, developed them into stars, and they have betrayed that trust.

But Wenger can hardly cite tradition as an ally when he has done so much in recent years to dismantle Arsenal's on-pitch traditions. Revolutionising the playing style and off-pitch affairs and guiding the club to an unprecedented period of success ensured his status as a legendary Arsenal manager. But has his latest revolution, which seems at the moment an ill-advised one, tarnished his legacy?

Sometimes, vociferous criticisms of Wenger overlook the fact that he moved Arsenal to a bigger stadium, and always acknowledged that this would necessitate an extended period of careful financial management. He has often hinted that the priority in this period was simply a top-four place, to keep Arsenal in the Champions League. And he has also admitted at times that the financial constraints applied by the stadium deal meant Arsenal now needed to sell big before spending substantial amounts.

The problem sometimes arises from Wenger's own muddled rhetoric. If it's true that Arsenal are presently aiming for Champions League football, and are at a disadvantage when it comes to winning the big prizes, perhaps he should stick to that line of thought. It would, of course, prove unpopular with many fans, but it would also be honest.

In the last few seasons, Wenger has played an infuriating game. He talks up his team's chances of winning trophies, even if a lot of the time, their actual performances are not great. And when they implode and end up empty-handed, he reminds everyone that in the current climate, a place in the top four is a trophy in itself. It has been six years, but fans haven't yet forgotten what silverware looks and feels like.

Circumstances in this period have been kind on the one hand, cruel on the other. No other English club has yet emerged with the consistent quality and stability to challenge Arsenal's spot in the top four. So Wenger's primary priority for the last few years has been met, usually comfortably. At the same time, teams above Arsenal have, particularly in the last couple of seasons, been weak by previous title-challenging standards. For long stretches of 09/10 and 10/11, Arsenal seemed close to mounting a serious title charge, even though they never really seemed to have the necessary nous. So it proved in the run-ins both seasons. But fans have been enraged by the perception that success is so close and yet, because of the manager's obsessive frugality (and other personal flaws) so far away.

It has probably surprised the manager that his team have failed to give the fans a little something to cheer for in the shape of a League Cup or FA Cup victory. From that viewpoint, the loss to Birmingham last season in the Carling Cup final- a team that was eventually relegated, remember- represents an almighty gaffe by the Gunners. If they don't banish that memory with some silverware in the next couple of years, that day will surely come to be seen as emblematic of the failures of this Arsenal side.

It was a defeat secured not just by Birmingham's doggedness and determination but by Arsenal's contrasting characteristics. Without Fabregas, they lacked any sort of leadership in an awful first half performance. They should have been more than one down by the time Van Persie volleyed an outstanding equaliser. But he injured himself in the act, soldiered on ineffectively until late in the game, and Arsenal never developed a great deal of momentum. They were given the initiative in the second half by a retreating Birmingham, but failed to create a gilt-edged chance from all that attacking and, in a very Arsenal irony, they managed to present Obafemi Martens with an open goal from Birmingham's only attack of the last half hour or so, one barely worthy of the name.

Koscielny and Szczesny, two rookies playing in spinal positions, handed the game and the trophy to Birmingham.

When you have wilfully built a team of rookies, as Wenger has, without any guiding hand of experience on the pitch, you can't really call it bad luck. 'The Invincibles' were a team of experienced players playing at their peak, or close to it. Henry, Vieira, Pires, Campbell, Edu, Gilberto, Lehmann, Lauren. Arsene Wenger dismantled this team with amazing speed. Clearly, he felt that by selling on some of these players in the years after 03/04, he could secure funds for Arsenal for players who had passed their peak, and also allow young players like Fabregas to establish themselves as the new guard.

Some problems with that: Fabregas is a one-in-a-million talent and Arsenal have not brought in any young players close to his level since. The other youngsters have proven brittle, flakey under pressure, and, as I've argued countless times, their technical excellence is too often overstated.

Perhaps more importantly, Wenger has been far too committed to a policy of selling off senior players. "Passed their peak" does not equate to "useless". When did Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes pass their peak? Quite a long time ago, but they continued to play a central part in United's success over recent seasons. The same was true of Dennis Bergkamp in the twilight of his career.

Quite apart from their refined talents, these guys could provide a guiding influence on the pitch, even in the dressing room. Gilberto Silva was rightly displaced in the team by Mathieu Flamini in 07/08, but was it really necessary to alienate him, then turf him out that summer? Especially when Lassana Diarra and Flamini himself departed at a similar time?

We see the bitter fruit of this agist policy in games like the 2011 Carling Cup final. Arsenal have no leaders, no know-how. And while we may find it easy to dismiss Clichy and Nasri as mercenaries, we should also acknowledge that Arsenal have lost something of their identity in the last few seasons. I don't really mean that in the historic sense. More that the characteristics that brought success in Wenger's early years as manager have been discarded, and the unintentional effect has been to create something of a mercenary culture, where players get itchy feet as soon as bigger, richer, more prestigious clubs come calling.

Whereas before, Wenger chose to profit from the sale of his ageing stars, now his own young stars- Nasri and Fabregas are both 24- choose to leave his project.

I have spoken about Arsenal's lack of on-pitch stability and to understand it, all you have to do is consider a list of experienced, first-team pros who have left even since the initial dismantling of the unbeaten team. It's common for people to talk about the team having changed completely since 03/04, but by the end of this summer, it's likely to be totally unrecognisable from the team that challenged for the title as recently as 07/08.

First eleven from that season: Lehmann; Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy; Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky; Van Persie, Adebayor.

The expected departures of Clichy and Fabregas will leave only Sagna and Van Persie. That was Sagna's first season, but Arsenal are in such constant flux that he is now as close as Arsenal have to an established servant.

Neverending Transition

2011-06-28T12:55:00.002+01:00

Arsene Wenger's utopian project was supposed to conjure progress and stability.

Instead, his team is in a constant state of change. This summer, its captain and only truly world class player looks certain to depart. That means that in season 11/12, the Arsenal team will again have a very different look to it.

A team that was built around Fabregas, and often looked rudderless without him, will have to find yet another new image.

Serious questions remain over the mercurial talent that is Samir Nasri, and many other players besides, meaning that Wenger may be forced into more rebuilding than he has ever had to undertake in the course of one summer.

Any real sense of continuity or stability is being lost. Consider the centre backs that Arsenal used last season- Vermaelen had only one year of PL experience. Squillaci and Koscielny had the sum total of none. Djourou had been around quite a while but never played many games. And people wondered why Arsenal lacked defensive nous.

Alex Song will probably be the senior member of Arsenal's first choice midfield next season- and he remains a young player whose game is speckled with naivety.

While Robin Van Persie is a player of immense talent, and impressed many with the way he reportedly confronted the idiotic Abou Diaby at half time of the Blackpool away game last season, the extent to which he can lead the team is compromised by his constant vulnerability to injury.

Many young, inexperienced, or just plain stupid players leads to many mistakes. And many mistakes leads to no trophies. Players like Fabregas and Nasri will always want to win trophies.

The mooted replacements and new signings do not suggest an easy consolidation of Arsenal's top four ranking. Arsenal have been heavily linked with centre backs from Bolton, Blackburn and Everton. Gervinho has performed well for Lille, but the French league is an unreliable barmometer of quality. Juan Mata would be a rare exciting signing but Arsenal are unlikely to stump up the necessary cash, particularly if other Premiership clubs show an interest.

Arsenal might well spend this summer replacing very good players with merely good ones, and clearly, that is not a recipe for great improvement, especially under a manager who has little interest in the tactical or defensive sides of the game.

The transition continues. 2004-????

Fabregas Leaves and Nasri Stays?

2011-06-27T03:07:00.003+01:00

It has been suggested in some quarters that Arsene Wenger would reluctantly accept one of Barca's borderline-insulting bids for our wantaway captain if Samir Nasri would finally commit to a new deal.

It's generally believed that Nasri's best position is the one that Fabregas has been playing in. He would definitely prefer it to playing out wide, and so there is even a possibility that the loss of Fabregas would help persuade the Frenchman to stay.

That said, he has surely sullied his relationship with the Arsenal fans through his behaviour this summer. Fabregas has remained dignified throughout the last year or so. We all know he wants to go. I think he deserves to go. It makes me sad to say it, but he's too good for Arsenal. He deserves to win the kind of trophies that he is unlikely to win at Arsenal.

Despite all that, he has not rocked the boat, and he has not handed in a transfer request.

Nasri, off the back of a season which was one half brilliant and one near-anonymous, is apparently looking for more money, and also flirting with the affections of a very bitter rival in Manchester United. He has been fairly brash about the whole affair, and some might say this is indicative of a petulant character.

People enjoyed his fued with William Gallas, because Gallas is viewed with disdain by most Arsenal fans, but Nasri does seem overly cocky for someone who, like practically all of his Arsenal team mates, has achieved nothing.

In the summer of 2008, after a superb goalscoring season, Emmanuel Adebayor indulged in some self-promotion on the transfer market, and although he did stay for one more year, he was often booed mercilessly by his own unforgiving fans. Although Nasri has not been quite as shameless in touting himself to other clubs, it will be interesting to see how the fans treat him should he still be at the Emirates in August.

Will he play out the final year, as Flamini did? He surely won't be allowed to. Wenger will want the situation resolved soon. He would hate to lose a player that he bought for more than 10 million and not even receive a transfer fee.

But to lose Fabregas and Nasri in one summer, and without much chance, considering Wenger's usual spending policy, of bringing in replacements of equal calibre, will raise yet more questions as to where exactly the club is going.

One last note: the idea that Nasri could replace Fabregas is very contentious. If creativity is measured by the ability to create chances for team mates, statistics show that Fabregas is the most creative player across the top leagues of Europe. Outside of the team he wants to join, he is arguably the world's best midfield player, certainly one of the very best passers.

Nasri is a very different player. He is a better dribbler than Fabregas but has nothing like the Spaniard's vision or passing ability. If Arsene Wenger hopesto replace Fabregas from within- and it is a viable, if risky, option- there are a number of possibilities, but all would entail a slight change of emphasis and style.

Arshavin, Nasri, Ramsey, the near-forgotten Rosicky and even Wilshere would enjoy playing in the role that the captain fills in the current formation. None of them are close to Fabregas, however, in terms of consistently incisive passing.

Nasri is more of a tricky, individual player. Arshavin is a direct dribbler, and also a goal threat, but Wenger has never given him a chance in a central role, and with his apparent decline over the last season, it's unlikely to happen now. Ramsey might play off the front in a style more similar to Steven Gerrard than Fabregas. Wilshere may be the closest thing Arsenal have to another Fabregas but his performances in a more withdrawn role have been so convincing that Wenger is unlikely to upset his development with a positional shift.

There is also the possibility that Wenger could switch back to some sort of 4-4-2. It's easy to forget that Wenger used to be a 4-4-2 disciple. Robin Van Persie would relish the chance to play a role similar to the one Rooney adopted behind Hernandez for much of last season- and the one his fellow Dutchman, the great Dennis Bergkamp, played with such distinction in his years at Arsenal.

Alternatively, and this is one I'd like to see tried, Van Persie could play up top with Arshavin floating around behind him. But the fact is, with so many players who prefer to play as the central creative force in a midfield three, and the lingering question over whether we have the players to play wide in a 4-4-2, Wenger is unlikely to deviate from the formation used last season.

Clichy: Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out

2011-06-10T02:59:00.002+01:00

When Ashley Cole left Arsenal in such acrimonious circumstances in 2006, there was widespread belief amongst Arsenal fans that it wasn't that bad a deal. Arsenal had received money, and William Gallas. And Gael Clichy had always looked too good to just play understudy all his career. People thought he was ready to step up.

So how did that work out?

Well, Gallas was a fine defender. But he and Kolo Toure did not form a complimentary partnership. They were probably too similar- quick and hard to beat along the ground, relatively weak in the air.

Then there was the legacy of his season as captain. In 07/08, he started in inspirational mood, scoring some important goals. But as Arsenal suffered the first of many title race implosions in recent years, Gallas buckled under the pressure. He exploded at Birmingham after a certain Mr. Clichy gave away a penalty with a mistake of awe-inspiring stupidity.

He was eventually stripped of the captaincy but fans never really forgave Gallas for his tantrum at the end of the Birmingham game. It was pretty embarrassing stuff, but I always felt for Gallas a bit. He had come from Chelsea, where he was surrounded by big characters, to Arsenal, where he was asked to be the big character. He was never really captain material.

His poor relationship with Toure meant that Kolo left in 2009, and his poor relationship with Nasri probably contributed to Gallas's own departure in 2010. In other words, while it was not all Gallas's fault, he ended up causing more problems than he solved in his time at Arsenal.

But what about Clichy- how did he fare in trying to replace Ashley Cole?

Being lenient, you would say he has been an adequate left back, but certainly not as good as his predecessor. Being a little more harsh, but honest, you would say that he has often been a downright liability. 07/08 may well have been his best season- he even produced a few decent crosses for once- but it was tarnished in a big way by the aforementioned mistake against Birmingham. And it's not as if we hadn't been warned- he made a very similar error, one that also cost Arsenal a goal but not the game, against Manchester City a few weeks earlier. His game has been sprinkled with errors ever since that season. His concentration and consistency are just not up to scratch. You won't win titles with a left back like that.

Clichy's problems are made more clear by Sagna on the other side, who is a real seven out of ten every week full back- solid and reliable. He is better in defence and, although not a frightening player going forward, he is certainly more productive than Clichy- although he could also do with improving his crossing.

The sad fact is, as much as Arsenal fans would hate to admit it, they have missed Ashley Cole hugely. He has almost always, since his departure, been one of the two or three best left backs in the world. When Clichy first came to Arsenal and broke into the team while Cole was injured, there was genuine hope that Wenger had unearthed a Cole Clone. The truth has been rather different. In fact, Mathieu Flamini was a more reliable defender at left back in the run to the Champions League final of 2006 than Clichy has ever been.

Now, with a year to run on his contract, Clichy has refused a new deal and seems certain to leave this summer. Because of his contract situation, it will be a cut-price deal, and Liverpool have apparently just offered 5 million pounds for his services.

Wenger may be loathe to sell to a fellow Premiership club, but while Clichy has been a decent servant to the club, and was no doubt a popular figure in the largely French dressing room, he should not be sorely missed.

Some will now suggest the promotion of Kieran Gibbs but that would be a little rash. His impact in the games he has played has often been overstated- as these things often are where young English players are concerned. More importantly, he spends far too much time out injured to be trusted with the role. In other words, it looks like Arsene Wenger has yet another pressing transfer priority for this summer- a reliable left back.

Penny-Pinching a Problem

2011-06-09T03:55:00.003+01:00

United have spent 16 million pounds to bring in Phil Jones from Blackburn- a player Arsenal might have had an interest in, but certainly not at that price.

Liverpool have spent an initial 13 million, and also given the much-maligned David Ngog to Sunderland in part-exchange, to sign Jordan Henderson.

Jones is just 19, Henderson 20.

It is an understatement to say that they have paid over the odds for the two players. Henderson in particular comes to Anfield off the back of a largely unimpressive season. He broke briefly into the England squad early last campaign but has since struggled to replicate the form that got him there.

Both of the deals represent gambles on potential. They also point to the expensiveness of young English players. Arsenal fans can only hope that these deals do not set the tone for a summer of exorbitant transfer fees, because Arsene Wenger is renowned for refusing to pay a cent more than the value he places on a player.

There is almost always better value in signing foreign players, but I for one have come around to the viewpoint that Arsenal need more English blood. Not all English players, in fact very few, have the talent of Jack Wilshere, but the blatant complacency and lack of commitment from some of Arsenal's Frenchmen has grown tiresome.

And the fact is that most of the time, when an Arsenal player starts to deliver on heir potential, they start to dream of a move to a bigger club. After a season that was one half outstanding and one half borderline-anonymous, Samir Nasri is already looking for a hefty pay rise that he will otherwise get elsewhere.

In the George Graham days, Arsenal had players loyal to the club. In the successful Wenger days, the players were loyal to him. Now, I'm not sure either is the case. Fabregas has already shown some loyalty to the club and the manager who helped make him a star, and Van Persie shows an admirably idealistic commitment to the manager and his vision of the game, but too many of Arsenal's foreign players invite the term "mercenary".

Some English players could help give the squad more character and help mend the bitter relationship that has lately developed between fans and players, but when Bolton are said to be asking 17 million pounds for Gary Cahill, a player with a single year left on his contract, you can't really blame Wenger for looking elsewhere.

One other thing should be said. If Jordan Henderson is worth 20 million or so, Barcelona should double the money they have apparently been bidding for Cesc Fabregas.

Where Are We Going?

2011-06-05T17:19:00.002+01:00

Arsene Wenger has managed to resist some supposed crises in the past but he will do well to get Arsenal back to anywhere near their previous level, if this summer takes the course that seems likely.

Fabregas wants out, has done for quite a time. It's criminal that he never had a shot at winning the big prizes at Arsenal, because his manager surrounded him with mediocre players. There will be no criticism of Cesc when he leaves. Great players want to win trophies and there is little chance that Arsenal will win the Premiership or Champions League any time soon.

Samir Nasri is flirting with Manchester United, of all teams, and with only a year left on his contract, and no sign of the new offer being accepted, he too looks ready to jump ship. While players like Abou Diaby have been rewarded for their lack of impact with contract extensions, Nasri's contract has, amazingly, been allowed to play out.

Arsene Wenger has, for too long, had too much faith in the lesser elements of his squad. And now, clearly, some of his better players are losing faith in him.

His flawed project is now in danger of damaging the club. Optimistic fans were hoping for a clear out this summer, but they envisaged the sale of dead wood, and that Fabregas, Nasri and the other players of quality would be added to.

Instead, it may well be that some of the dead wood are set for a promotion.

They Are A Bit Good, Aren't They

2011-05-28T21:39:00.003+01:00

BARCELONA 3-1 Manchester United

So it's quite simple: Barcelona are the best team in Europe, and Manchester United are a very distant second.

And Barcelona can still thrill when they are not faced with a parked bus.

I wondered about the wisdom of United starting with the same eleven against Schalke, and their apparent plan to press Barca rather than sit off them.

For eight minutes or so, it looked a masterstroke. They pressed ferociously, Barca looked nervous, and it was all quite reminiscent of the beginning of the 2009 final.

Here, a couple of long, straight forward balls had Masherano and Pique looking jittery, and Valdes had to sweep up.

But as in 2009, Barca found a foothold around the 10 minute mark. This time it came not in the shape of a sucker-punch goal, but in dominance of the ball. The intensity of United's pressing inevitably dropped, but they still looked to release Hernandez early when the opportunity arose. The Mexican could not time his runs, though, and was caught offside four times in the opening twenty.

The convincing attacking was done at the other end. Xavi and Iniesta were, at times, conjuring yards of space where there seemed only inches. With Messi breaking into the box on more than one occasion, Ferdinand and Vidic were forced to make some heroic challenges. Pedro prodded a Xavi cross wide from close range, and Villa, looking in the mood, came very close with a couple of snap shots.

A goal was on the cards. It came when Iniesta released Xavi into the United half with a nonchalant pass. The captain for the night (Puyol was on the bench) advanced towards the area, waited patiently for the right option to present itself, and found Pedro pulling into acres on the right of the box. He took a touch and, with Van der Sar poorly positioned, passed the ball casually inside the near post.

The simplicity of the goal, coming as it did after a spell of Barca brilliance, must have unnerved United, and it took them a while to gather themselves.

But when they did, they scored a fine goal of their own. The chance stemmed, again, from determined pressing. Abidal threw up the line from deep inside Barca's half, but United squeezed effectively, and Rooney picked up the ball. A quick one-two with Carrick, who was playing well, freed up Rooney to drive into the box, and then another one-two, with Giggs, opened space for the shot, which he swept imperiously into the top corner.

United had been ruthless when their first big chance arrived. Barca were less efficient in front of goal. Messi found Villa on the right, and his return pass into the goalmouth was just missed by the little man.

It had been a very, very good contest up to half time. Barca the better side, but United playing very well, bringing out the best in their illustrious opponents. 1-1 and finely poised. It threatened to be a classic, but in the end wasn't, because Barca were a little too good. Their superiority for the first twenty-five of the second half was almost total.

They got back in front when Messi was left in space on the edge of the area. As Evra charged, a static Vidic inadvertently unsighted his goalkeeper, and Messi's sweet shot skipped past Van der Sar. United in response were playing very direct, still looking quite dangerous at times, but their attacks were only sporadic and they were not making any chances.

Barca, on the other hand, were on fire, and it looked as if only their profligacy and, at times, complacency, could stop them ending the contest. Alves was put through, and denied by Van der Sar. Then he crossed into the goalmouth, but an extravagant flick from ? did not provide the finishing touch and United scrambled clear. Xavi swerved in an effort from range that was well parried. At last, just when Nani was introduced and you wondered about Barca's freshness in the final twenty minutes, Villa curled in a magnificent third from the edge of the area.

After that, you would have been entitled to expect one of two things. Either Barca would score a couple more, or they would pass, pass, pass and frustrate United, who had already been chasing shadows for much of the second half.

It was a tribute to the mental strength of Ferguson's side that they dominated the remainder of the game, visibly still believing in their chances of executing an unlikely comeback. Barca tried to tip-tap their way to the final whistle, but United snapped into challenges as they had at the start of the match, and stormed forward in numbers. Rooney curled an effort onto the roof of the net; Nani cut in from the right but dragged his shot wide. Barca sat back in the last few minutes, made some defensive changes, and snuffed out the rest of what United had to offer.

The curtain came down on the season, and even if overall it was far from vintage, it had ended with a very good game, one that showcased the best of Barcelona.

Alex Ferguson showed real class, giving Guardiola warm congratulations.

In fairness, this United side had also shown their best, and the qualities which make them the best team in England. Theirs truly is a never say die attitude. But that, along with their own considerable talent, was not enough to even approach the greatness of an amazing Barcelona.

Fragments of a Big Match Preview

2011-05-27T17:45:00.002+01:00

QUESTIONS

United- will they look to press Barca? Or sit deep?

Jonathan Wilson uses stats to say Barca have become less committed too attack, more inclined to sit deep. They certainly use possession as a means of defence as much as attack. Is it making them boring to watch?

Then again, not really their fault that most teams aren't playing exciting football these days.

Are United good enough? More specifically, will the centre of their midfield be good enough? Apparently, it will be Carrick-Giggs again. No place for Fletcher? Frankly, I'm shocked. Maybe he's not quite fit enough. I guess there would be nothing as useless as a half-fit Darren Fletcher.

"The same team they brought to Schalke". That's the word on the street. Good and all as United were that night, Barca could never be as limp and lifeless as the Germans were. And while a similar team swept Chelsea aside in the "title decider", Ancelotti's team were likewise impotent, looked almost unmotivated- amazing for a game of that magnitude.

All of which points to the biggest worry for United fans- that their team simply has not been tested sufficiently this season to prepare them for the test to come.

United can confidently ask questions of their own.

Even if Barca have a near-monopoly on possession, will this work to United's advantage? Can Barca's backline deal with the pace of Hernandez? Is Mascherano a good enough centre back, if indeed he does play there? And whoever plays left back for Barca- can they cope with the rampaging runs of Valencia?

Will United's apparent physical advantage at set pieces come into play?

First Goal= Vital: a cliche, but especially true of this game.
United score it- Barca forced to press- spaces left for United to exploit on the break.
Barca score it- they feel the freedom to pass the ball to death until United leave some gaps.

Sterile Domination was the term Wenger used to describe it. A couple of question marks still hang over the anointed ones. Their behaviour in recent big matches makes a mockery of their own haughty principles. But more importantly, as Wenger implied, they often leave something to be desired on the level of spectacle. Their adherence to possession is so strong that it arguably blunts their creativity. For instance, for all their superiority over Arsenal in the Camp Nou, they only really started to open Arsenal's fragile rearguard up after Van Persie had been sent off. At the Bernebeau, too, the goals came against 10 men.

They are undoubtedly the best team around at the moment- nobody should debate that- but the smugness of Xavi and their other footballing philosophers is hard to swallow when too often, their matches are strangely dull.

Still, being a biased Arsenal fan, I hope they give United a pasting.

Unfortunately, my sickening gut feeling is that this will be United's night... despite the laughter induced by this from football365:

United have had plenty of valuable time in which to fine-tune their preparations for the Wembley showpiece and many hours have been devoted to '11-a-side practice games between the first team and squad members lining up as Barcelona.' It is understood that Michael Owen has taken up the role of David Villa, while Paul Scholes has imitated Andres Iniesta and 'Portuguese winger Nani has performed the 'Messi' role in training, replicating the Argentine forward's movement in the final third of the pitch.'

If they wanted a shite impression of Barcelona, why didn't they just invite Arsenal to Carrington?

4TH

2011-05-22T23:46:00.002+01:00

Fulham 2-2 Arsenal

Didn't watch the game.

Saw the Arsenal goals.

Diaby produced maybe the 4th telling pass of his career, after exchanging with Chamakh, and Van Persie scored yet again.

Either side of that, Sidwell put Fulham in front, then Zamora put Fulham in front again.

Late on, Theo Walcott ran unchallenged into the Fulham box and angled a shot past Schwarzer, in off the far post.

More dropped points, but it wouldn't have mattered a shite because Man City did their job, beating Bolton comfortably to secure 3rd place.

The more interesting games were at the foot of the table. At different times, Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham were all going down. In the end it was the latter two that fell through the trap door.

Rock Bottom?

2011-05-17T11:24:00.003+01:00

Or Will They Keep Digging?

There is now genuine ill feeling towards the club, and towards the manager, from a growing number of fans.

The fans are being asked to shell out more money to watch the insipid, overrated sideways passing exhibitions that Arsenal have been churning out for most of the season.

There is a commonly held assumption that whatever his failings, Arsene Wenger is at least trying to do things the "right way". This is true in a financial sense (although he really could do with not bumping up the contracts of frankly awful players and instead spending some money on reliable replacements). But in a footballing sense, I think it's time we admitted there is nothing superior in the way Arsenal play football at the moment.

I don't find it exciting or aesthetically pleasing, not most of the time, and it is certainly not effective. You might say in his defence that Wenger has won trophies in the past, but he has not done it playing this kind of football.

I have said it numerous times, the differences in style between his successful teams and the team he has since built are glaring. The current outfit has none of the power or the pace of the unbeaten side. One might suggest that they keep possession better, and the statistics would probably back that up, but how often are Arsenal allowed possession by the opposition, in the knowledge that they can sit deep, stifle Arsenal's narrow, predictable passing, and strike on the break.

The fact is, Aston Villa needed attack only twice to win that game on Sunday. And that is a very familiar situation. Clearly, Arsenal's style is often self-destructive.

The team's general attitude to defending, or indeed their aptitude for it, exacerbates the problem. They are too lazy or not good enough. Or not taught how to be good enough. Villa scored two goals in the first fifteen minutes at the Emirates, and they scored them with embarrassing ease. By all means, praise the movement and finishing of Darren Bent, but also ask whether Manchester United, Manchester City, or Chelsea would concede two goals in succession like that.

The irony of Arsenal's 'style' is that while they are so often accused of being 'overly intricate' in their own attacking approach, they are themselves consistently vulnerable to direct, simple attacks. You never get the feeling that a team has to put an excellent move together to score against Arsenal.

Why is that? The blame rests at the manager's door. You may say that the defenders are not doing their jobs, and there is an element of truth to that. Squillaci has been woeful almost every time he's taken to the pitch. Koscielny is accident-prone, and Djourou has fallen out of form since the Carling Cup final. But ultimately, it is Arsene Wenger who has brought these players together and placed trust in them, after this time last year admitting that Arsenal needed to sort out the defensive side of their game.

I haven't even mentioned the lack of protection the defence gets. Or the fact that they continue to be comically inept at defending set plays. I don't want to jump on the 'Wenger Out' bandwagon just yet, but at any other 'big club' in world football, this would simply not be accepted. He has failed to affect any improvement over the last twelve months. He and his team have only replicated the same collapse, surpassed it even.

There was an illusion of progress at one point this season, because after the winter, Arsenal were ostensibly in the running for all four competitions. Then the illusion was blown away. They had shown some decent form to that point, particularly away from home, but warning signs flashed at regular intervals. Certain games said that this team had not changed. Blowing a two-goal lead at home to Spurs. Going 3-0 down at home to West Brom. Losing to one attack at home to Newcastle. Doing the impossible, and blowing a four-goal lead, away to the same team. Capitulating miserably away to Manchester United.

Then, after the loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, the players finally went to pieces. The devestating blows came in flurries with no respite in between. The 12th round bell rings out and, after being knocked to the canvass time after time, Arsenal are leaning on the ropes, bloody, bruised, comprehensively beaten.

And by who? No shame in going out to Barcelona in Europe, but losing a final to Birmingham, a side that may yet go down, is unforgivable. It seems now that United, Chelsea and City will all finish ahead of Arsenal in the league- and none of those teams invite easy admiration. A grudging respect is due perhaps, mostly for the ways in which they are different to Arsenal.

The tendency is for Wenger, and his apologists, to point to worse situations we could be in, to point to Spurs and Liverpool, perhaps, or point to our continued Champions League involvement. But I'm just tired, and I think a lot of people are now, of this constant 'grass isn't greener' rhetoric. I accept that Arsenal have no right to win trophies every year. But I don't accept the manager's right to ignore what needs to be done to give the team a better chance of winning something.

He even trotted out some line, after the Villa game, about how we're not battling relegation. I don't hear people in Ireland saying, "well, this recession is horrible but we should be happy with it because there are people starving in Africa". People adapt their expectations to their environment. Arsenal are a 'big team', they are playing in the Champions League, they are playing in a 60,000 seater stadium and fans are being charged exorbitant amounts to sit in that fucking stadium. I think it's fair for Arsenal fans to expect better than what they've got this season.

But if this is rock bottom, will Wenger see the need for change?

Even if he does, he's already made his job very hard for himself. It's unlikely, surely, that Fabregas will want to stay in the event that Barcelona stump up a fair offer. The Spaniard's career at Arsenal, if it is coming to an end, has been one great big missed opportunity. Instead of taking one of the best players in Arsenal's history and surrounding him with players that of the same calibre (or at least of some character), Wenger has made the boy captain and implicitly asked him to carry the motley crew of underachievers that constitutes the current Arsenal squad.

Now, Fabregas and, quite possibly, Nasri could leave for pastures new. That possibility illustrates the lie that is Arsenal's stability. There has been nothing stable about Arsenal's squad in recent years. Most of the continiuity comes in the shape of the younger players who aren't good enough and no other team would want, players like Diaby and Denilson. Otherwise, Arsenal have been consistently losing some of their better players and replacing them with substandard ones or with potential. You only need look at the players Arsenal had as recently as 2007/2008. Hleb, Adebayor, Flamini, Diarra, Gallas, Toure, Gilberto. All those have moved on. Previously, part of Wenger's greatness was in selling on some of his best players at big prices, and repacing them with cheaper, younger players of equal or greater quality. It seems he has lost that ability, because the Arsenal team now isn't close to being as good as that one in 2007/2008, and even they weren't good enough to avoid a late season collapse.

The summer beforehand, they had lost Thierry Henry, and it seemed to galvanise a lot of the players, who took on more responsibility and played with a greater freedom in the absence of the pompous Frenchman. Could something similar happen when Fabregas goes?

Fabregas is a different character to Henry. Watching Henry, particularly his treatment of Jose Reyes, you could understand how some players would feel liberated in his absence. Fabregas is probably a nicer chap but Arsenal do have the same tendency to look to him to dig them out of every hole.

There was some excitable talk after the recent United game about the birth of the Wilshere-Ramsey partnership. Both are very young. Ramsey is still recovering from a broken leg. Wilshere is already playing too many games for his age. But they are both going to be fantastic midfielders and that definitely will soften the blow somewhat should the captain leave.

I think that the emphasis should be on improving other areas, and altering the team's style. Insofar as the way Arsenal play does work, it works because Cesc Fabregas is a chance creating machine. I don't think there is anyone Arsenal could realistically buy who would effectively replicate what he does. But Arsenal need another striker, one who will score goals during those lengthy RVP absences, and ideally, one who can play with RVP.

They also need a fourth centre back, because Squillaci will surely not stay at the club.

They also need, I think, a midfielder that is strong enough to challenge Alex Song for his place in the team.

Ideally, some or all of these players will have extensive experience of being in winning teams.

If Arsenal lose Fabregas, there really is no excuse anymore- Wenger has to spend some money on the squad. If he does not see that necessity, I think his position has to come into doubt.

Even if he does spend, the characteristics of the current squad are worrying- do they come from the players or from the manager? Not being able to defend set plays, not possessing a winning mentality - these things surely derive from the manager to a large extent? In which case, do we need a change of manager almost as much as we need a change of playing staff?

This is a Low

2011-05-15T22:24:00.002+01:00

Arsenal 1-2 Aston Villa

Another addition to the litany of listless displays at the Emirates this season. The home campaign ends in defeat.

Vermaelen returned but could do little about the ineptitude of one of Wenger's worst ever signings. Squillaci watched the ball sail over his head, left for dead by Darren Bent, who chested the ball down and volleyed it over Szczesny and into the net. 0-1.

Arsenal were 2 down inside fifteen minutes. Ashley Young received the ball, got a bit of extra time on it as Vermaelen slipped, and played in Bent, running off a static Sagna. Bent slipped the ball through the keeper's legs.

Arsenal had about eighty minutes to get back in it but whatever atmosphere there might have been in the ground became poisoned and the confidence of the players had plummeted still further. The deficiencies of the defence pile pressure on the attack, and an attack lacking both Nasri and Fabregas struggled to create. There were sporadic spells of danger but Arshavin and Walcott were both wretched and so the responsibility to score had to be shouldered again by Van Persie, who cracked a shot off the post after some typically inventive individual play.

When Wilshere chipped a lovely ball through to Ramsey, the Welshman chested down and lined up a shot, but Richard Dunne slid back and did enough, perhaps illegally, to stop him from finishing. No penalty the decision.

Half time, Squillaci replaced by Chamakh, with Song dropping back to partner Vermaelen for the remainder. At last, a return to something like a 4-4-2, although Van Persie frequently dropped deep. There were more bodies in the box when Arsenal attacked, but they still struggled to make the pressure tell. Song was having one of his off days (complacency?) and nearly let Bent in for a hat trick goal by miscontrolling what should have been a harmless Villa pass.

Eventually, Chamakh found the net with a close range header; it was disallowed for what the referee saw as a push by the Moroccan. Already booked, Petrov should have seen red for a late tackle.

Late on, Van Persie scored from close range after a bit of a scramble. Not enough. Bendtner had replaced Arshavin on the left wing and tried his best but it is pretty pathetic watching a glorified target man plod along the touchline and then be told that this is a team that has lofty ambitions.

The final whistle was greeted by a mix of Villa cheers and Gooner boos and the sheepish looking Arsenal players, including Fabregas, embarked on a lap of dishonour around the half empty ground. Will the captain play for Arsenal again? You couldn't blame him for wanting out.

Now, amazingly, if Manchester City win their final two games, Arsenal will finish in 4th and have to play the qualifying round of the Champions League. The collapse continues- will it be arrested next season?

An Envious Look in the Direction of Old Trafford

2011-05-14T01:23:00.002+01:00

19 titles, Liverpool off their perch, it is only a matter of time now.

Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea

Some expected a titanic, top of the table clash. I never expected it to live up to that billing, and it didn't.

Chelsea have never approached the attacking excellence they often reached last season. They were on a good run, in terms of results, but that owed a lot to opposition weaknesses and to huge chunks of luck against Tottenham. Still, though many of their players are past their best, their application and professionalism puts Arsenal to shame. After their rotten mid-season run, they have reeled the Gunners in and very nearly did the same to United. That deserves a lot of credit- they have had to grind out a lot of difficult wins.

They were never close at Old Trafford. Terry and Luiz were caught out by a direct United move in the first minute. Hernandez slotted past Cech. Vidic headed another one in from a Giggs cross not long after.

Lampard's second half goal looked to have given Chelsea hope, but they never built any momentum, and nearly all the good chances were at the other end. United must have been nervous but they did not show it. They held out comfortably and their celebrations at the final whistle showed that they know the title is in the bag.

It was a very good way for United to reassert their authority. They had already beaten Chelsea twice in Europe and here they did it again and were superior in every department. United's midfield remains a bit of a mystery. Looking at it on paper, you would expect them to be outpassed and outrun by teams a lot more often than they are. A couple of seasons back, one would have backed Essien, Mikel and Lampard to overpower Giggs and Carrick, but Essien and Lampard are poor shadows of their previous selves. Giggs is enjoying the mother of all indian summers.

Drogba, once so powerful, now looks one-paced, lacks the explosive flourishes of yore. Torres is, it seems, a busted flush, unless they can fix him in the summer.

Malouda and Anelka have both had poor seasons. It's a wonder that Chelsea have come as close as they have because, looking at their squad, it's hard to name a single player who has been as good this season as last.

It's a drum I've been beating for some time, and here we go again: it's a weak Premiership- United are worthy Champions, the best team, but not all that much better than a Chelsea side in clear decline. Things should heat up next season because there is obvious scope for improvement, and a palpable sense of momentum, at both Liverpool and Man City.

For now, we should salute the soon-to-be Champions. They have suffered a lot of criticism this campaign, but ultimately, Arsenal, City and Spurs should get the stick. If this United team is so sub-standard, then those three teams should at least have challenged properly. City and Spurs never theatened to do so, and Arsenal collapsed in embarrassing fashion once the season reached the home straight.

United lack a dominant midfield and their away form has been patchy, at best, but they have continued to play dynamic, exciting, attacking football more often than not. Their game often thrills in a way that Arsenal's very rarely does. They may not keep the ball as well as other teams but they attack at pace and that is an art that Arsene Wenger seems to have forgotten.

The More It Stays The Same, The Less It Changes

2011-05-11T00:43:00.003+01:00

Stoke 3-1 Arsenal

This was a rank display. Although not as spectacular as the collapse at Wigan at the arse end of last season, it had the same stale, end-of-a-fruitless-season vibe. Nothing to play for. Not even, it seems, professional pride.

Stoke were not very good, but comfortably good enough to beat a limp, lifeless Arsenal.

Arshavin got a lot of stick for helping give away the first goal. His team were not in grave danger as Jermaine Pennant held the ball in an apparent cul de sac near the corner flag. Arshavin stupidly pushed him over.

It's pretty absurd, though, that giving away a free kick is seen as a hanging offence. It was stupid, no doubt, because Stoke are dangerous from set plays. But here's a novel idea: how about, after all these years of "coincidental" underachievement, Arsenal learn to defend set plays?

Pennant swung a great ball in, Djourou was easily given the slip by Kenwyne Jones, and the ball bounced off the striker and into the net.

Pennant got the second himself. After a decent run he fired in a shot from distance. It was given a dipping trajectory by a slight deflection, and Szczesny failed to stop it.

Arsenal made changes at half time. Arshavin was scapegoated, as he often is. The manager pampers the substandard young players that fail to repay his faith, but because he did not make a star out of Arshavin, he has never shown favour to the Russian. Ramsey, ludicrously booed by the neanderthal home fans, also departed. Chamakh and Bendtner came on, leaving Arsenal with three out-and-out strikers on the pitch, plus Walcott. The changes had little effect.

Van Persie did provide yet another goal late on to provide a fleeting sense of hope, extinguished when Djourou pissed a clearance straight to John Walters, who made no mistake from close range.

It was a pretty abject way to destroy any feelgood factor after the United game. Maybe that's for the best. Arsenal have been poor for most of the season, especially the second half. They have produced a few good performances in that time, most notably at home to Chelsea and Barcelona. They failed, however, to build on the commitment of those displays. They failed to replicate it, because they either don't want it enough, or are not good enough, or a mixture of the two.

The game against Stoke did not have anything riding on it, so complacency was more understandable, if not acceptable. But the fact is Arsenal's season has been peppered with such displays, even when they were still supposed to be fighting for any of four trophies.

The tiresome talk continues, from both players and manager. 'Arseblog' has drawn attention to the fact that the players were admitting their own culpability in terms of character and commitment and the lack of it as long ago as the autumn of 2008. How many pay rises will these same players get before they are finally kicked out? 'Arseblog' also points to a comical quote by Wenger, who says that an inability to defend set pieces is an easy problem to remedy.

Arsene Wenger's team has had that problem for years. If it is easy to remedy, then where is the remedy? He has been a great manager for this club, and I hate to come across as negative (again), but frankly, he's looking and sounding more and more like a clown. His decline, and that of his team, shows no sign of stopping.

A Small, Good Thing

2011-05-01T23:46:00.001+01:00

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United

At last Arsenal won a game, but along with the obvious pleasure of beating United, there was a palpable sense of 'what might have been'. In truth, it was the visiting side who were under more pressure, despite Arsenal's wretched form. Had Arsenal still been within touching distance of the title, would they have won that game? We'll never know for sure, but I doubt it.

The first half was familiar fare. Arsenal had most of the ball, without being particularly incisive. United, despite fielding both Rooney and Hernandez, sat back and tried to strike on the counter. It's a tried and tested routine for them, but this time they lacked punch on the break. Their only notable foray saw Fabio released behind Clichy on the right of the area, but he was left without a target in the middle, and was crowded out.

Arsenal passed the ball well though they did not create many clear cut opportunities. United left themselves open in the wide areas at times, as a result of their narrow defensive shape, but too often Sagna and, especially, Clichy crossed poorly (although the latter did find Walcott with a wicked low cross that the winger diverted over the bar).

It was Walcott himself who produced what should have been the most telling ball of the match, only for a brazen, unpunished piece of cheating from Vidic to take the ball off Van Persie's head. As the cross arrowed into the goalmouth, the flailing Serb raised an arm and deflected the ball beyond the striker. It was not the most obvious transgression to most in the stadium, but the linesman had a decent view and really had little excuse for not seeing it.

Half time: Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness raved about Arsenal's play, which I found a bit excessive. They had been decent on the ball but had rarely looked like scoring. The most obvious difference from previous Arsenal-United games was that United were toothless in attack themselves. This was probably the result of a few factors. Song sat back and marshalled Rooney very well, allowing Wilshere and Ramsey, in for the injured Fabregas, to do most of the prompting. Hernandez struggled to time his runs against Arsenal's high defensive line. Nani and Park were ineffective. And maybe Arsenal were a little less naive and accident-prone than they've often been.

Also, it's worth pointing out that United may have been conflicted as to whether they should attack in search of a win that would place one hand on the trophy, or sit on the draw. At the start of the second half, United did play in a more adventurous fashion. Rooney had a free kick clawed out, and Hernandez was a cunt hair away from burying Nani's curling cross in front of a relieved Szczesny at the near post.

If Arsenal were consciously sitting back themselves in the hope of finding more space in attack, it worked. Just after Valencia had entered the fray in place of Anderson, Song cut out a forward pass in the midfield area, and Ramsey released Van Persie down the right. The Dutchman backed Evra into the area, did his usual twisty-turny-thing, then, almost too late, saw that Ramsey had arrived on the edge of the box in acres. Carrick at last saw the danger, but Van Persie's pass was well-weighted, so that the Welshman could shoot first-time. He placed it beautifully into the corner, through the legs of Carrick and past Van der Sar's dive, and Arsenal had gained the lead with their first shot on target.

Then another game started. Arsenal sat on their lead as if George Graham was in the dugout, although without, needless to say, the defensive nous you would associate with that name. United attacked almost relentlessly, but in a fairly ragged fashion. When Carrick was replaced by Owen, they had no real midfield presence. Arsenal broke on them at times but looked too nervous to find a telling through ball or cross or shot to finish United off.

There was panic when Rooney got a lucky break of the ball, attacked Arsenal's box and found Nani to his left, but Szczesny stood up to his fairly tame effort. The biggest escape came when Rooney flipped a ball through for Owen, who had got the wrong side of Clichy. The hapless left back stamped on Owen's calf, fairly blatantly, and sent the striker tumbling, but appeals were waved away, and Arsenal saw out the remainder. Koscielny came out with particular credit, as he did in the home game against Barcelona. He seems more comfortable dealing with top class teams than with the agricultural ones who subject him to aerial bombardment.

United could point to the penalty decision but they had enjoyed more luck up to that point. Vidic should have conceded a penalty and seen red for his illegal intervention. Chris Foy kept getting in the way of Arsenal passes, and even booked Alex Song for an obviously clean tackle on Evra.

Arsenal have a victory that might mean more next season than it does now. All it means now is that yes, they probably should have won the title. United are so weak on the road, and have never really played like Champions elect. Nobody has. United have emerged by default, but I expect them to confirm their status as best of a relatively bad bunch with a win over Chelsea at Old Trafford next weekend.

Why United Can Beat Barca

2011-04-28T18:12:00.002+01:00

It seems certain after this week that the Champions League final will be contested by Barcelona and Manchester United.

Barca are a formidable team, and it seems at times that other sides are terrified of even trying to play football against them.

But Arsenal's 2-1 win at the Emirates against them earlier in the competition will surely give Alex Ferguson hope.

The Gunners did need a bit of luck, but they managed to get at Barca's defence and, eventually, score two fine goals, enough to win out on the night.

Their gameplan, or the game they were forced to play, consisted of sitting off Barca until they entered the Arsenal half, then pressurising them, and when they won the ball back, breaking quickly behind Barca's attacking full backs.

It worked for Arsenal, for ninety minutes at least, and United are better equipped to do it than Arsenal are. Arsenal are a possession team who were forced to play mostly on the break because Barca would batter them at their own game. United are more used to playing on the break, more adept at soaking up pressure and then striking. They are quicker, they play with natural wingers. All of their players, including those up front, seem to enjoy working hard when the other team has the ball. They are better at breaking up opposition play than Arsenal, and under pressure, their defence is much less likely to crack.

Arsenal's victory was quickly forgotten after their timid, shotless showing at the Nou Camp in the second leg, but Alex Ferguson only needs to beat Barca on one night, over ninety (or 120) minutes. You wouldn't have believed it watching lastnight's farce, but it is possible to play football against Barcelona and come out on top.

Because Arsenal are a poor man's Barcelona, Ferguson may see Sunday's game at the Emirates as a chance to again test out the game plan he will use in the Champions League final, one he has honed over numerous recent victories against the misfiring Gunners.

An Ugly Game Ends With A Beautiful Goal

2011-04-28T01:28:00.003+01:00

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona

There was not much on show at the Bernebeau to contradict my claim from lastnight, that European football is in decline.

Barcelona are, undoubtedly, Europe's best team. They are so good at their style of football that most teams just try to contain them, and kick them, and hope for a goal on the break. This is part of football. When one team is inferior in terms of ability, they are forced to adapt to give themselves a chance of winning the game. Real Madrid may be the second best team in Europe, but they are some way short of Barca in quality and style, and they were not going to play open, expansive football, and risk getting tonked 5-0 again.

Barcelona are aware of this, but it seems to breed a pomposity that leaves a bitter taste. They seem to believe that their footballing superiority equates to a moral superiority. Paradoxically, they go to great lengths to gain further advantage in the course of a game by illegitimate means.

Approaching half time, it had been a poor game; bitty, but not particularly dirty. Things got out of hand when Pedro ran into a Real player and crashed and rolled and cried, claiming, as did his team mates, that he had been elbowed.

The atmosphere in the stadium and on the pitch grew poisonous, and at half time there was a ruckus that saw Barca's sub keeper Pinto dismissed.

Admittedly, Real played in a robust fashion, and a red card was always a distinct possibility. What is disappointing is the sense that Barcelona play to try to get opposition players dismissed, rather than relying on their footballing superiority. Pepe's tackle on the odious Dani Alves was high and reckless, no doubt, and may have warranted a red card, but it was hard to shake the notion that the badgering behaviour of the Barca players throughout the game influenced the referee's decision.

As against Arsenal at the Nou Camp in the second round, Barca were given a numerical advantage early in the 2nd half, and their play improved as a result. Here, there was not the avalanch of chances that Almunia faced in the earlier game, as Real retained their earlier shape and discipline. But Barca, and Messi in particular, simply found more space. It probably did not help Real that Mourinho was banished from the touch line for throwing some sarcastic barbs in the aftermath of Pepe's dismissal.

The first goal was vital. Real had played poorly in possession before the red card but their initial plan may well have involved scoring late, as they have done in the two recent games against Barca. Even reduced to ten men, they would not have regarded a goalless draw as a disaster. But Barca's away goal sucked the life out of the home side.

Messi drove to the edge of the box, and not for the first time, had an effort blocked. Xavi moved the ball wide to Afellay, on as a sub. As the Dutchman faced up to Marcelo, the full back stumbled slightly, and this gave Afellay the time to make a yard of space and cross into the goalmouth where Messi, sprinting across Ramos, deftly knocked the ball through the legs of Casillas with a first-time volleyed finish.

It was a great cross, a great run and a great finish, but better was to come, and all neutrals will at least have one fond, lasting image of beauty from what was a nasty game. With the clock ticking down, Messi ran from close to half way with the ball seemingly glued to his feet, jinked past a couple of challenges and sped through to knock the ball right footed into the far corner.

That goal killed the tie and means that we will, barring minor miracles, see United and Barca in a repeat of 2009's final.

This game will remain a talking point, however. Certainly, Barcelona are the team that neutrals would prefer to see progress, but their behaviour has sullied the image they project of representing all that is good in the game.

Real Madrid did not come to play, but this was not a surprise to anyone. But there was a sense that Barca recognised the difficulty they would have in playing through those massed ranks of white shirts, and made it a priority to get a Real player sent off.

The red card may have been deserved. Pepe's tackle was high, potentially dangerous, but contact was minimal and there's no doubt that Dani Alves was feigning injury. We have seen Pedro and Sergio Busquets do the same. There may have been some niggly fouls elsewhere in the game, but the bad atmosphere was created more by play-acting than by any genuinely dangerous tackles.

It may be the case that Barcelona see it as fair that if other sides will attempt to stifle them through strategic fouling and negative, spoiling tactics, they will play dirty too by rolling around, pretending injury, and crowding the referee. But if that's the case they really need to drop the air of moral superiority. After all, a lot of people don't see one way of playing as inherently superior or more right than all others. Some might say that while Barca are perhaps the best passing side that football has ever seen, they lack the swagger of some of history's other great teams, and can even seem robotic by comparison.

What should not be lost amid all this is that they are certainly preferable finalists to Real Madrid, evebn if Mourinho's team feel they did not get a fair crack of the whip. It is rich of Mourinho to get so self-righteous in condemning Barca's apparent use of the 'dark arts'. From Porto to Madrid, via Chelsea and Inter Milan, his teams have showed a constant willingness to bend the rules of the game in their own favour.

A cynic might suggest that this is all that unites the very best teams. What worries me is that there are not very many good teams around anymore, and that this Champions League has failed to produce many games that will be remembered for the right reasons.

Real v Barca again

2011-04-27T15:13:00.002+01:00

After lastnight's debacle, tonight's contest between the two best teams in Europe ought to be refreshing.

Barca's 5-0 win in the league at the Nou Camp is receding into memory, as impressive as it was. While it provided the platform for Barca to romp home in the league, it also provided Mourinho with food for thought, and in the two recent games, he has implemented a far more effective plan for dealing with Barca's burgeoning ability.

In the 1-1 draw at the Bernebeau, Real came back to win a point despite being a man down. In 120 minutes at the Mestalla in the Copa del Rey final, they kept Barca out, and Cristiano Ronaldo's fine header won the cup.

In both games, Barca have been on top for significant periods. And yet they only broke through once, and that a penalty.

They are not playing as freely as they did in that 5-0 win. That was never likely to be the case, because this stage of the season brings a heightened pressure which makes it harder to play expansive football. They will, of course, commot to their unique brand of attacking, but they need to find a cutting edge to slice through that dogged Madrid backline.

The tie against Arsenal showed their weaknesses almost as well as it did Arsenal's. With Barca so superior, in the second leg in particular, how did they come within a cunthair of being knocked out by a late Arsenal goal?

They were wasteful in front of goal over both legs and they simply cannot afford to replicate that against a team that will not give them as many chances.

There is also a popular argument at the moment that Pep Guardiola has mismanaged his squad. He does not have the strength in depth that Mourinho's team boasts, but in what many argue to be a relatively easy domestic league, he has failed to give Messi, or some of his other star players, much of a rest. Some say that this may be contributing to the team's less spectacular performances as the season goes on.

In a way, it's a match between two teams who are good defensively, while not having particularly good defences. Barcelona defend by keeping the ball, but when their teams do manage to get at them (which is pretty rare) they can be opened up on the break. Mourinho's Inter did this brilliantly in the first leg of last year's semi-final.

Recently, Mourinho has found some extra solidity by using the centre back Pepe as a destructive presence in midfield, sacrificing the more refined qualities of Mesut Ozil. Ozil played, and was little more than a spectator, in the 5-0 defeat. That game exposed the inadequacies of some of Real's defenders. Sergio Ramos is unconvincing, and Marcelo is better on the attack than in his own penalty area. Even the usually unflappable Carvalho looked flustered and lost.

But nearly all defenders prefer to defend deep, not leaving spaces in behind for speedy attackers to exploit. After that humiliation, Mourinho will never again attempt to play a high line against Barcelona. With Khedira injured, he'll bring Lassana Diarra in, and Madrid will look to fill the space in front of their own back four, cutting off the supply line of short, incisive passes between Barca's interchanging front five.

Can Barca use the wide areas effectively? Zlatan Ibrahimovic was turfed out because he impacted on Barca's ability to press as a unit in all areas of the pitch, and also because he was so disappointing over those two legs against Inter. Now, in his absence, they again lack a tall, physical presence up front, and are unlikely to score from a high cross into the area. So Real will look to defend narrow, and push Barca into playing the ball wide.

It should be a fascinating tussle between two contrasting philosophies.

European Football in Serious Decline.

2011-04-26T21:14:00.002+01:00

I've been saying all season that the Premiership is fairly weak this season.

But Schalke would struggle to stay up in the Premiership, and they've reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

They beat last year's winners 5-2! In their own stadium!

And yet United looked more convincing against them than they have against any domestic opposition all season.

A United team that most agree is one of Ferguson's weakest.

What does all that say for the state of European football?

The Horse Had Long Since Bolted

2011-04-25T23:09:00.003+01:00

Bolton 2-1 Arsenal

... and that naive talk of the title can now end.

The contrast between United and Arsenal was demonstrated for the umpteenth time this weekend. Both found themselves needing a goal in the closing stages. For United against Everton, the goal felt inevitable. As for Arsenal, tension took over, chances were wasted, and a decisive goal given away at the other end.

I don't really have much else to say, other than what I've been saying for months on end.

This blog has become a broken record, Arsenal look a broken team, and Wenger a broken man.

All of this frustration can lead to something positive if there is now genuine change this summer.

Goodbye Dignity, Hello Champions League Qualifying Round

2011-04-20T23:55:00.003+01:00

Spurs 3-3 Arsenal

Chelsea are into second after the latest in a growing line of collapses.

3-1 up not long before half time, but there was never much point celebrating.

Spurs came back to win a point, and nobody was too surprised. It would have been more surprising to see Arsenal negotiate the rest of the game with a bit of authority.

THINGS STARTED WELL when Walcott burst through onto a vintage Fabregas pass. Corluka had no chance of catching Walcott and he slipped a tidy finish, Henry-style, into the bottom corner.

As against Liverpool, Arsenal showed that they could not hold it together even for a couple of minutes. After the whirlwind start, one might have hoped that Arsenal had turned a corner, but instead they immediately served notice that anarchy still reigned.

Corluka saw Van der Vaart make a clever run off the typically dopey Diaby, played a good pass infield, and the Dutchman was in behind the Arsenal defence. Diaby could not even bother throwing his lazy arse in front of the shot, which flew past Szczesny and in at his near post. 1-1.

Arsenal got their noses in front again. Tippy tappy tippy tappy BANG. A bout of short passing around the Spurs area ended with Nasri taking a potshot, which clipped off Dawson and scipped past an unsighted Gomes.

Close to the interval, a mistake by Gallas from a right wing cross saw the ball break to Walcott. He stood up a lovely cross for Van Persie, whose initial header was brilliantly clawed away by Gomes. The rebound dropped for Van Persie again, and he lashed it into the roof of the net.

Of course, for the team that can blow a 4-0 lead, 3-1 is a narrow advantage.

Minutes later, Szczesny rushed out to stop Bale, who was injured in the collision. This could perhaps have signalled that Arsenal's luck was turning, only for the fact that, moments later, Tom Huddlestone found the net with a left-footed piledriver from long range. Half time: 3-2.

Throughout the second half, there was never a sense that Spurs were thumping on the door, but they didn't need to. Arsenal's attacking was less convincing, and the first decent spell they had in the half ended with Spurs equalising.

Lennon was sent racing in behind Sagna, and Szczesny rushed out rashly, and clearly fouled the winger. Van der Vaart buried the penalty, and for the second time this season, and the third in three seasons, Arsenal had blown a two-goal lead against their local rivals.

Although Fabregas drove a decent effort straight at Gomes, if anyone deserved to win the game, it was Tottenham. Szczesny made a couple of decent stops and, for the most part, Arsenal were hanging on. When Wenger made changes, he was fairly cautious, keeping three central midfielders on the pitch. Despite that emphasis on possession, Arsenal's passing game went to pieces, and they spent a lot of the second half launching hopeful, ineffective long balls.

Chelsea won at home to Birmingham and they are now 2nd. The crumbliest, flakiest team in the world continues its slow, sad decline of 2011. Since the Carling Cup collapse, they have beaten two teams- Leyton Orient and Blackpool.

...And it's back "on" again

2011-04-19T22:45:00.002+01:00

SUPPOSEDLY

What a missed opportunity this season has been.

Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United

If Arsenal had managed to recover their composure after the Carling Cup final defeat, they would surely now be favourites for the title.

If, If, If

To suggest that Arsenal could have "recovered their composure" implies that they had any to begin with, which is, on the basis of recent seasons, highly debatable.

But the fact remains: opportunity knocked, and instead of answering the door, Arsenal bolted it, drew the curtains and hid under the bed.

Manchester United will still be Champions, but there is a temptation here to use the word "default". Their home form is amazing- two points dropped all season. Their away performances have been constantly unconvincing- often with results to match. All of their away victories (a paltry five) have involved an element of good fortune.

Arsenal's away form has been the best in the league. Their problem is the reverse of United's. All season, the Gunners have tried and failed to gain some momentum at home. There have been precious few convincing or even enjoyable home performances in the league. The Chelsea game stands out as a high point, but also, as I said recently, an aberration. More representative examples are the inexplicable capitulations to West Brom and Newcastle, the unforgivable collapse against Spurs, the boring, goalless draws of recent weeks. Much is made of the lack of atmosphere at the Emirates, but the Highbury Library saw a fair amount of success despite its usually hushed ambience. This season, the atmosphere has mostly reflected the performances- insipid, lacking in dynamism. An air of resignation at times.

There is an air of resignation now about Arsenal's title hopes, despite another mini-slump from United. The players' media rhetoric is hollow, and borders on insulting at times. "We will not give up", they say. Recent performances suggest they already have.

Perhaps United's overall lack of intensity against Newcastle owed something to the ever-growing conviction that Arsenal would not take this title even if you tried to hand it to them. There was no great sense at the end of the game that United had suffered a genuine blow. Arsenal could, theoretically, give the leaders something to think about if they were to win convincingly at Spurs tomorrow night.

I would have been more confident of a win if United had actually beaten Newcastle. That's how much I doubt the character of this Arsenal team. Had United won, there would be a sense of freedom, perhaps, in Arsenal's play, safe in the knowledge that the title was out of sight. As it is, United's dropped points will probably only increase the feeling that Arsenal have messed up their big chance. They will feel that a win would give them hope, but also know, deep down, that if they were going to win this season's title, they would have got their act together long before now.

The Hardline View

2011-04-18T19:28:00.002+01:00

"Arsenal are a gutless team playing for a clueless manager in a soulless stadium"
-Myles Palmer

And since the disappointment of the Wembley calamity against Birmingham, there has been little evidence to contradict that viewpoint. Arsenal are second in the table, but almost solely on the basis of points won before Spring. Since the Carling Cup final they have collapsed in a manner that for any other team would be deemed incredible. From Arsenal, this is now what most expect.

It is not really true to say that Arsenal have challenged for the title this season, though that is what Wenger will claim, being either deluded or disingenuous. Their away form was good enough for long enough to put them in a position to challenge, and possibly to win. But they stopped playing as soon as the real pressure kicked in. United had a genuine wobble for two games, losing at Chelsea and Liverpool in the space of a few days, and Arsenal failed miserably to take any kind of advantage, even when presented with the kindest home fixtures you could hope for.

This weekend, when United were dealt a blow in losing an FA Cup semi-final to their hated neighbours, Arsenal were again generous enough to cheer them up by reminding them that they don't have a genuine rival for the title.

Most of us have known this for some time. When Arsenal blew that two goal lead to Spurs, were played off the park by WEST BROM, and when they failed to test Newcastle's defence in an embarrassing defeat, all at the Emirates, there was no sense that this team had improved on last season. There was also no game that suggested the team had turned a corner.

When they beat Chelsea convincingly at the Emirates, the players talked the talk. They acknowledged that they had set a blueprint for how to play in every game- pressing high up the pitch, working hard to deny the opposition time, then striking in attack. Days later, they blew a 2-1 lead at Wigan, who had just had a player sent off. And as the season went on, it became clear that the energy of the Chelsea performance was a mere aberration.

Ok, Arsenal are unbeaten in the league since that abject showing at Old Trafford. Ok, they lie second in the table (for now). Progress cannot be measured only through a team's league position. They may have finished only 3rd last season, but Chelsea were Champions last season, while this campaign, they are locked in decline. Spurs and Man City are not strong enough, yet, to sustain a challenge. And Liverpool were, until quite recently, a club in turmoil. Arsenal are second in a weak league. Unable to challenge an uninspiring United side.

With none of Arsenal's major rivals in optimal shape, this was the season that Arsenal's stability should have led to success. Instead, this collapse invites the question of whether Wenger's Arsenal is turning into a story of stagnation rather than stability.

There is scope for improvement, of course. But that improvement must, simply must, come in the form of transfers. Arsenal's captain has the look of a man who is simply waiting for a move, and not a single one of his team mates, with the exception of a fucking 19 year old, has stood up to show some leadership. None of them have character, and none of them are learning it, because they have nobody to learn it from.

Wenger's great project, dismantling the Invincibles to build a young and brilliant team, one to grace the sprakling stadium his vision has helped create, that project has been a failure so far.

It needs an injection of new ideas, some open-mindedness at last, but the manager's stubborness is starting to look terminal. Six years and counting.

Other Great Cock Ups, part 1: Spring 2008.

2011-04-17T21:34:00.005+01:00

Eboue's late blunder against Liverpool got me feeling nostalgic about other comical cock ups from recent bumbling Arsenal teams.

2008- Champions League Quarter Final, second leg: Liverpool away.
The culprit: Kolo, and everyone else.
Arsenal endured some rotten luck in this tie, but stupidity was the ultimate reason they lost it. With minutes to go, Theo Walcott produced a rare moment of brilliance, racing past numerous challenges from the edge of one box to the other on a marathon sprint, then pulling the ball back for Adebayor to slot home. With the score at 2-2, Arsenal were heading through on away goals. In this situation, most good teams know how to shut up shop and hold on.
As soon as Liverpool kicked off, they sent the ball wide down their left, where Ryan Babel waltzed into the box. Arsenal had been caught snoozing after what should have been the decisive goal, but the danger would probably have been quelled by William Gallas, who was shaping to confront Babel. But Kolo panicked and performed a clumsy-looking windmill impression behind the Dutchman, who conjured some contact and went down to win a penalty. Gerrard converted, and Babel scored another in stoppage time to remove any doubt.
It may have been a harsh penalty, but Toure was stupid, Arsenal were sleepy and unprofessional. It was already becoming a familiar theme...

2008- Premiership: Birmingham away
The culprit: Gael Clichy
People like to pinpoint the Old Trafford capitulation in the FA Cup, but Arsene Wenger practically forfeited that game with his team selection. This was the day that a promising season really started to fall apart.
First, Eduardo was snapped in two by Martin Taylor's dopey lunge, and Arsenal played the rest of the first half in a daze, despite their numerical advantage after Taylor's dismissal. At half time they trailed to James McFadden's fine free kick.
Pulling themselves together, Arsenal did enough after the interval to win the game. Theo Walcott plundered a quick fire brace, and Adebayor should have squared to Bendtner to finish off the game, but shot selfishly because he hated the Dane.
Still, that should not have mattered. Conceding once to 10 men was bad enough- surely Arsenal would not do it again. Birmingham had not posed much of a threat, but as we have seen countless times since, if you can't make a chance, Arsenal will make one for you. In the final minute, Gael Clichy sized up a loose ball in his own penalty area, unaware, somehow, that a Birmingham player was ready to steal in. Clichy recovered to nick the ball away but the referee awarded a penalty. McFadden scored, Gallas lost the plot, Arsenal's season fell to shit.
Clichy's mistake was probably the single stupidest thing I have seen an Arsenal player do. Some might argue that his career has not yet recovered.

The Title Race That Never Started is Over

2011-04-17T18:21:00.004+01:00

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool

Silly little team!
Undignified old manager!

It's sad. For all the hype, the Premiership is in a poor state. Manchester United are not as bad as they've sometimes been made out to be this season, but they are very flawed. Yet their march towards the title has never been in serious doubt. Arsenal are a let down to themselves, their manager, their fans, and the neutrals who want to see a relatively weak United team properly challenged.

Overall, the game showed some of the worst facets of this spineless Arsenal team. Ciorcumstances called for a performance of some tempo and commitment but instead Arsenal played at the now familiar pre-season pace. Liverpool, despite a patched up defence that lost both Aurelio and Carragher to injury during the game, mostly repelled Arsenal's overly narrow, overly intricate attacks with ease. There were few chances and the game drifted towards the third consecutive goalless result at the Emirates. Arsenal simply looked too nervous to play with any real style and the crowd responded in frustrated, subdued fashion.

Then, seven minutes into the eight added, Arsenal won a penalty, Fabregas felled by Spearing. Van Persie coolly slotted the ball away, and tension finally released, the stadium erupted.

But this is Arsenal, and you know it's never over. Kuyt shot from kick off, Szczesny scurried back to save, cleared the ball. The eight minutes were up but the game went on as the ball had not been "in play" while Arsenal celebrated what they assumed was the winner. A long ball came forward, Arsenal were all over the place, Kuyt nearly got in on the left of the area. Clearances were sliced, tackles were feeble, until a clumsy one on the edge of the box gave Liverpool a free kick. Only Arsenal could contrive this preposterous situation having got ahead so late.

When Suarez could only find the wall, the home fans cheered again, but those cheers dissolved into disbelief as the moronic Eboue chased the looping deflection, and needlessly pushed over Lucas, who was facing away from goal. After a dramatic pause, Andre Marriner pointed to the spot. Arsenal had ballsed it up yet again.

Kuyt kept his cool to bury the penalty in the corner, and the last whistle finally blew, three minutes after Arsenal supposed it was due. In fairness, though, there was never an opportunity for the referee to blow up. For two minutes on end, the ball was in and around the Arsenal penalty area, as the team found a new way to manifest their debilitating nervousness. They have had many comical implosions over the last few years, but this must rank with the most darkly hilarious.

The comedy continued as Kenny Dalglish quite rightly, and quite audibly, told Arsene Wenger to "piss off" as the Frenchman responded in typically sour fashion to his latest misfortune.

"Misfortune". Not the right word. If someone keeps literally shooting himself in the foot, he is not unfortunate. He's an idiot.

Arsenal are that idiot. Eboue best embodies the brainlessness, but it has been present in his absence on many occasions. For much of the game, it seemed Arsenal's only problem was that they had lost their attacking verve at the worst possible time. But when they had solved that problem with the goal, they served a hilarious reminder of their other flaws. They are the last team in the world you would trust to defend for two minutes- just two minutes! A while ago, I suggested that this team were destined for failure, and the only question was how they would arrive at that point. They keep finding new, ridiculous ways.

You have to say, that's pretty sad, and so is the manager's continued insistence on blaming anyone but himself or his team. If that attitude is not dropped, more "misfortune" awaits.

another shite post

2011-04-17T04:36:00.002+01:00

BARCELONA's run of four games in eighteen days against REAL MADRID started with a 1-1 draw in the league game at the Bernebeau. The title run in in Spain lacks intrigue because Barca are eight points clear and there is no chance they will relinquish that lead. Even had Madrid won this game, you wouldn't have given them much hope. But the game was interesting as a prelude to the bigger ones on the horizon.

Barca showed yet again their lack of a ruthless edge. Every team has its flaws, even one as accomplished as this Barca, who are embarrassingly superior to every other team in Europe.

David Villa has gone nine games without scoring, and snatched at a couple of chances lastnight. It seems ridiculous to be critical of Messi, who is going to finish with more than 50 goals this season, but he has developed a tendency to be a little too cute in front of goal. It does not usually matter, because with Xavi and Iniesta pulling the strings, there is usually another chance on the way. But in the very biggest games, it could prove costly.

You only need to reflect on the Arsenal tie. Over the two legs, and especially the second, there was an evident, yawning chasm in quality between the two teams. In the deciding game, Arsenal could not manage a shot, whereas Barca, after RVP's red card in particular, produced an endless litany of wasted opportunities, as well as the three goals. 4-3 on aggregate, the final score, did not do justice to the balance of play over two legs. It could have been 14-3. But had Bendtner stuck away that late chance, Barca could have gone out. That surely served as a warning- they need to take more of their chances, or their greatness will go to waste.

In the latest game against Real, Barca held the expected monopoly on possession. But chances did not flow. Mourinho was never going to repeat the mistake of the Nou Camp game in autumn, when he abandoned his habitual policy of containment against Barca, and saw his team spanked. While Barca were, again, the better side, they failed to finish the game off, even at a goal and a man up. Real always looked as of they could score from a set piece.

Eventually, a penalty was awarded, Ronaldo stuck it away, and the ten men had a point. It was a good performance from Barca and they will doubtless play with more intensity in the games to come, but so will Real, and it must worry Guardiola a little that recent big matches have seen his team fail to turn a stylistic superiority into a scoreline to match. I wonder if Real might be the team to punish their profligacy.

City 1-0 United, The Treble is OFF

2011-04-17T02:15:00.003+01:00

They say you can't buy team spirit but City certainly played with character and commitment in beating their neighbours at Wembley. They are still pretty dire to watch at the best of times, but their defence against United's, with no Tevez and no Rooney, meant that the first goal was always likely to be decisive.

It came early in the second half when Michael Carrick, just when it seemed he had left behind his poor form, ballsed up on the edge of the box, presenting the ball to Yaya Toure. The Ivorian is, they say, the most overpaid of players in this overpaid league, but he is also one of the most underrated. In a match lacking in midfield class, he stood out in general, but particularly here as he powered past a flat-footed Vidic and slipped the ball through the legs of Van der Sar.

United had started the game well, but faded badly, perhaps lacking energy after the Chelsea game midweek. If Berbatov had converted either if two early, gilt-edged chances, the dream of a second Treble might well live on.

Instead, Arsenal have the chance to make it a very bad weekend for United by beating Liverpool today and adding pressure to the title run in. But this game ought to test Arsenal's own nerve aswell. Liverpool were impressive in dismantling City in their next game and Luis Suarez has added a much-needed new dimension to their attack. His strike partner Andy Carroll is exactly the kind of player who tends to trouble Arsenal's sometimes feeble backline. It remains to be seen whether the unexpected early returns of Szczesny and Djourou will lend the title charge a new impetus, or if the impotence of recent weeks will continue.

Between Arsene Knows and Arsene Goes

2011-04-14T18:18:00.002+01:00

This is the middle ground I occupy. Between two militant bands. The one- whose numbers are dwindling- possesses an unshakeable faith in the manager's ability to keep Arsenal at or near the top. The other- becoming louder and louder- screams that his head should roll.

But it ought to be pointed out that Arsenal are 2nd in the league and clubs that sack managers while in such a position invite the term 'basket case'. The worst thing that can be said about Arsenal these days is that they have missed some pretty big opportunities, and I think the manager is at fault for that, but at the same time, you can't really see them hurtling down the table and out of Europe any time soon.

The people who call for his head are being unfair and unrealistic. But their complaints might help, in a perverse way, because for too long there has been a sense that the only real pressure on the manager, the only real expectation, is to finish fourth at least; that winning nothing is acceptable.

Maybe Wenger won't win anything with Arsenal again. I'm certainly not convinced that he will. I think he has lost something in his switch to prioritising the future of the club. He has forgotten some of the fundamental ingredients of success on the pitch. But at the same time, the club has not fallen to pieces, and shows no sign of doing so. They continue to qualify with ease for the Champions League. Even if Wenger does not win another thing, at least he will have left the next manager with a good foundation to build on.

Two Dead Ties

2011-04-05T22:40:00.005+01:00

At 7.45, an eagerly-awaited tie kicked off. At about 8.00 it was over.

Real Madrid 4-0 Spurs
Harry Redknapp picked an adventurous line up. Bale, Lennon, Modric, Van der Vaart and Crouch were all set to start. But Lennon felt sick and so, minutes before the start of the game, Jenas stepped into the starting eleven.

Maybe this late shift unnerved Spurs, as it took Real only four minutes to pierce their rearguard in straightforward fashion. Adebayor, so often the scourge of Tottenham in his Arsenal days, rose unchallenged to power a corner kick goalwards, and Modric could not clear the ball from beside the post.

A rotten start got worse courtesy of some jaw-dropping stupidity. Peter Crouch had already been booked for a late, reckless lunge, and when the ball broke loose in similar fashion minutes later, he amazingly launched into a reprise. Marcello got to the ball first and Crouch was off. On Sky Sports, Ray Wilkins moaned about Marcello's fist-pumping when he saw his opponent's fate, but there was only one thing worth complaining about, and that was Crouch's idiocy. Naivety had threatened to derail Spurs as early as the qualifying round against Young Boys, and although they seemed to have matured since, tonight they regressed.

In the first half, however, the home side seemed unsure of what to do with their numerical advantage. Madrid are more built for fast counters than patient probing, and with Spurs sitting deep, they struggled to find opportunities. For their part, the visitors were pretty wretched in possession, and Modric never found the space to prompt. But there were glimmers of hope as the half wore on. A quick, long throw from Bale caught out the Real backline momentarily, but as Van der Vaart chested the ball down and set himself to strike, Carvalho chased back to execute a last ditch challenge. Dawson's raking diagonal pass sent Bale racing behind the clueless Ramos, but the Welshman could only find the side netting from a tight angle.

The second half was an altogether different affair. Real came to terms with their advantage, attacked with conviction. Redknapp sent Defoe on for Van der Vaart, but, typically enough, the striker failed to involve himself in the game. To be fair to him, he was given little opportunity. Still, Spurs remained resolute for a while, and we were given a snapshot of why Barcelona are so much better than their bitter rivals. Where Messi, Iniesta and Xavi can find space in the tightest of avenues, Madrid looked blunt and predictable, until a quick corner from Ronaldo caught the Tottenham back line napping. Di Maria's cross was perfect for Adebayor- again unmarked- and Gomes could only stand and admire as the majestic header soared into the corner of his goal.

After that, the only question was how many. The answer, two more, was somewhat harsh on Spurs, as they were not often opened up. It suggested a ruthlessness on Madrid's part, and that may be vital in the event of a semi-final against Barca, who were amazingly profligate against Arsenal. First Di Maria whacked an unstoppable effort into the top corner from the edge of the box. Then, substitute Kaka found a pinpoint cross for Ronaldo, who volleyed on-target, and Gomes fumbled into the net to complete a miserable night for Tottenham.

The night's other game started with a surreal goal and ended with a surreal result.

Inter 2-5 Schalke
When Manuel Neuer raced from his goal to clear the ball to halfway, it seemed he had swept up to good effect. But it fell to Dejan Stankovic, and his exquisite first time volley sailed back over the keeper's head, and hit the net before even bouncing. A truly sensational strike, and not the first time Stankovic has scored a volley from ridiculous range.

The rest of the night belonged to Schalke. The score was 2-2 at half time, but after the interval Inter's defence went to pieces. Raul put the Germans in front to bolster his amazing goals record in the competition, with a typical piece of opportunistic forward play and a poked finish. An own goal from Ranocchia and a red card for Chivu later, an emphatic finish from Edu, his second of the night, killed the tie, and ensured that meaningless second legs will be the order of next Wednesday night. Man United and Chelsea could be forgiven for thinking that their tie is now effectively a semi-final.

6 Reasons Why It's Been A Sub-Par Season

2011-04-05T18:15:00.003+01:00

The shortlist for PFA Player of the Season

Samir Nasri

Carlos Tevez

Gareth Bale

Nemanja Vidic

Charlie Adam

Scott Parker

Told Ya So

2011-04-04T18:13:00.002+01:00

This blog has consistently questioned the character of the Arsenal team over the last couple of years and it has equally consistently been proven sadly right.

Saturday summed up the problem, and the painful contrast with Manchester United, pretty neatly.

On the face of it, the pressure was all on United. They had to visit West Ham, a team playing well, fighting for their lives. Upton Park is a ground that has seen some failures from United in the past, most recently a 4-0 League Cup drubbing a couple of months back. And Ferguson had to try to balance the need to win with the need to keep players fresh, with Champions League and FA Cup action still on the horizon.

Arsenal no longer have such distractions. It was up to the players to decide whether this was a blessing or a curse, and they seem to have settled on the latter. They are wallowing again and the season is fizzling out into familiar failure.

A home game against Blackburn was about as generous as the fixture list could be. Although Rovers are, like West Ham, struggling to avoid relegation, their away form of late had been wretched, and Arsenal would surely look to exploit their travel sickness. A performance of tempo and drive was called for. As has often been said, if Arsenal played the way they ought to, they would have too much for Blackburn.

So what was the problem then? I would suggest the same old answer- a lack of character. One can accept a team not playing to the limit of their potential every week. But too often, when it really matters, Arsenal turn in listless, lethargic displays. Either too many of the players don't really have the needed desire to turn skill into success, or they are so paralysed by the desire that they become ineffective on the big occasion. Either way, some of the players clearly need to go, and better ones brought in. And by better I don't necessarily mean people of greater skill. I mean people of greater character.

Man Utd were again 2-0 down at half time on Saturday. But they had been attacking with menace and few would have doubted that once they got one goal back with a chunk of time to go, they would win the game. Sure enough, once Rooney curled in a brilliant free kick with about 25 minutes remaining, there was a sense of inevitability about the rest. Rooney scored another fine goal to level matters, and even though the penalty decision that allowed the same man to complete his hat trick was quite farcical, it was only a matter of time either way until United took the lead. Hernandez' goal underlined United's superiority.

Contrast that tale with Arsenal's game later the same day. At half time, the game was goalless, the crowd frustrated, the players off-colour. But it was a comparatively shallow hole next to the one United found themselves in. All the Gunners needed to do, with Blackburn offering little attacking threat, was find one goal. Even after the helping hand of Nzonzi's red card, the home side failed. Worse still, this was the second home game in a row in which Arsenal had failed to break down a team enduring a woeful run of form away from home.

If the game happened in August, there's no chance it would have finished nil nil. Once these players get the idea that there's something on the line, they freeze. Maybe now that the title seems to be slipping away, they will play with some kind of freedom again. Something similar happened last season after those chastening consecutive defeats to United and Chelsea. But I won't be fooled. No matter how often Arsenal impress between now and the end of the season, to me, they'll be doing the usual- turning on the style when it doesn't matter. Changes need to be made this summer, and that's the bottom line.

When the Game Matters, the Form Deteriorates

2011-04-03T17:13:00.002+01:00

This has been the case for the last four seasons.

In 07/08, Arsenal led the league for most of the season, but collapsed miserably in the end, drawing four "easy" league games in a row, committing countless individual errors, and ultimately coming in third.

In 08/09, Arsenal recovered somewhat from an erratic start to challenge for both the FA Cup and the Champions League. A kind run of fixtures mid-season saw the team hold onto its top four place, but as soon as the big games came, the collapse followed. A hiding against Manchester United in the European Cup semi-finals, and, in a familiar twist, a goalkeeping error proving costly in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

In 09/10, Arsenal were mostly consistent against the league's lesser lights, but their wretched record against Chelsea and United ensured they were unable to convincingly challenge for the title. Despite both those teams showing signs of decline, Arsenal lacked the quality to rise to the top. They were swept aside by a far superior Barcelona in Europe, and yet another Almunia error signalled the end of whatever title hopes they harboured, in a game at Birmingham.

This season, the continued decline at Chelsea and United has meant that if Arsenal progressed, they would win the title. Sadly, the picture as we enter April is a familiar one. Arsenal have at least managed to beat Chelsea and, in one leg, Barcelona, but the benefits of those results are negated by a troubling tendency to drop points against frankly substandard sides. For example, Arsenal have won 2 points out of a possible twelve against two of the promoted teams, West Brom and Newcastle. At St. James', they amazingly managed to blow a four-goal lead. That echoed an embarrassing collapse early in the season at home to Spurs.

Arsenal entered springtime with hopes in four competitions. In a matter of weeks, those hopes have evaporated, and the performances have been almost uniformly woeful.

When United lost consecutive games recently to Chelsea and Liverpool, the league was, apparently, "in Arsenal's hands". Typically, they have contrived to drop it on their own toes, aggravating the pain of those cup defeats to Birmingham, Barcelona and Manchester United reserves.

At the end of another unforgivably colourless performance and goalless result against Blackburn, there was a palpable sense of discontent in the Emirates crowd. The atmosphere had been flat throughout, after a promising start dissolved into lethargy. The most noise the Arsenal fans made all day was with the brief flurry of boos that greeted full time.

Questions are being asked of the manager, and are being asked with more conviction than ever before, and so it should be. If Arsenal want to be a big club, they have to expect more than a team that consistently fails to perform in matches that matter. Wenger has professed faith in his players, year after year, and it seems certain now that his faith is misplaced.

A 3 Horse Race?

2011-03-22T18:52:00.004Z

Chelsea's hard-fought victory against a bus-parking Manchester City leaves them six points adrift, and with a visit to Old Trafford to come, a winning run between now and the end of the season would most likely secure them what seemed an unlikely victory in the title race.

Looking at the top three, Chelsea are probably the most likely to put an impressive run together, on paper. On balance, their starting line up at the moment seems stronger than either Arsenal's or United's. And they can be a truly formidable team when momentum is on their side.

I don't think they will win the league for a few reasons. Their squad is not as deep as they would like. Too many of their best players- Drogba, Lampard, Essien, Malouda, Torres- are having below-par seasons. And I think their players will prioritise the competition in which their manager is a specialist. That Chelsea side has endured some painful moments in the Champions League. That is the trophy they want and I think their league performances will come to reflect that.

They have had impressive home results of late against the two Manchester teams. But United are having a wretched season away from home, and City showed no ambition. I don't think Chelsea were anything close to their best in winning those games and as the tension rises in the last few games, they will need to play consistently well to make up the gap on United. If some of the aforementioned players regained their best form, it would be possible, but I still see United as strong favourites.

For the rest of this season, and all of the next, it will be fascinating to see whether Torres can find the class that seems to have deserted him. Chelsea may see the summer as an opportune moment to discard Drogba, an elemental player who is now showing genuine signs of decline. If Torres were Drogba's age, we would certainly be saying that he's past it. Maybe injuries have caught up with the Spaniard- consider how young Michael Owen was when he peaked- about ten years ago!

Chelsea may find themselves regretting what was an expensive transfer. The time was probably right to look to replace Drogba, but did they get the right man?

He Knows

2011-03-20T02:24:00.002Z

...And there is no need to be troubled about times and seasons, for the secret of the times and seasons is in the wisdom of Wenger, in His foresight, and His love. And what in human reckoning seems still afar off, may by the Divine ordinance be close at hand, on the eve of its appearance. And so be it, so be it!

The Collapse Continues: West Brom 2-2 Arsenal

2011-03-19T21:50:00.003Z

Man United, as has been said umpteen times, are lacking in flair this season.

Arsenal, although their style of play is overrated, have a bit more of it.

But as far as trophies go, it does not matter one iota.

The reasons for that were neatly summed up today.

The Premiership is populated mostly by mediocre sides.

West Brom are mediocre. Bolton are decent, but far from great.

To win titles, you have to beat those teams regularly. You have to do it when not at your best.

Neither Arsenal or Man United were at their best today. But if your defence functions properly, limited sides will still struggle to score against you. They are less adept at making clear chances. United's defence generally ensures that they only need one goal. So it was today.

Arsenal's defence, in the absence of Djourou, is appalling. That is no exaggeration. They are an absolute disgrace. They don't make mediocre teams work for their chances. And so they drop the kind of points you can't afford to. So it was today.

West Brom are not very good but if you give away free headers from six yards and open goals from hopeful punts, even a mediocre team will punish you.

Arsenal were left needing three goals in half an hour and against a team organised by Roy Hodgson, that was always unlikely. Well done on salvaging a point from a very grim situation. But the team needs to work harder on avoiding these grim situations.

Arsenal seem to only show urgency in situations of absolute desperation.

Apparently, a must-win game does not become important enough until they are trailing 2-0.

There is NO CHANCE, I repeat, NO CHANCE, that Arsenal will win the title. They will be two points behind United if they win their game in hand, but as far as I'm concerned, it may as well be twenty.

You have to be good enough to win the title. People can keep banging on about how United are below par, but United being below par will not win Arsenal the title. At some point they have to claim ownership of these matches, impose themselves, get the necessary results. They are incapable of it.

With a clean bill of health, there would be hope. With Almunia (or, indeed, a long past-it Lehmann) in goals and Squillaci and Koscielny in tandem? Not a hope!

My remaining wish for the season is that United do not wrap up the title at the Emirates. Arsenal may well stay in touch, which is the most frustrating thing, in a way. They are, in mathematical terms, a cunthair away from winning the title, but at the same time, I cannot imagine this team doing it.

As for the overall prospect of another trophyless season? It's frustrating. United and Chelsea and City and Liverpool are all in relatively poor health. There was a moment to be seized; that moment has passed. In defence of Wenger, one can point to financial constraints, and look to a brighter future. I can't see, however, that bringing in a better goalkeeper than Manuel Almunia, and a better defender than Sebastien Squillaci, would have broken the bank. The two of them are, quite frankly, cack. Every time they take to the pitch it makes a mockery of Arsenal's lofty pretensions.

It is hard to remember a time when the Arsenal squad was so littered with maligned players. Those two, Fabianski, Denilson, Eboue, Bentner, Diaby, Arshavin. All have been the victims of some pretty heavy criticism.

With the injury list as it is, some of those players would have to completely transform themselves to make it a glorious end to the season.

United Failings Unpunished Again

2011-03-15T21:52:00.004Z

Manchester United 2-1 Marseille. Aggregate: 2-1

On they stagger. United haven't been controlling games this season. They have been relying on an excellent defence. Against Marseille, shorn of both Vidic and Ferdinand, they were predictably less solid, and a more clinical outfit than the French team would have knocked them out.

For all the constant, sychophantic praise of Paul Scholes, he gives the ball away quite a bit and a midfield of him and Michael Carrick does not have the ability to horde possession or the legs for a midfield skirmish so United, after a whirlwind start and Hernandez's opener, sat deep and tried to win the game through Nani, Rooney and the Mexican.

This led to a strange contest. Unlike, say, Arsenal, who constantly commit six or seven players to attack, Marseille play cautiously, in the image of their manager Didier Deschamps. Even at 1-0 down, they never threw many bodies forward. Still, Gignac and Diawara missed wonderful chances to equalise before half time.

In the second half, they still refused to throw caution to the wind. Even when Valbuena came on, it was for the striker, Gignac. There were few clear chances, but a couple of situations where it was clear that they needed to flood the box, gamble on a cross. They retained their caution and United punished them when a rare decent move saw Valencia play in Giggs with a clever pass, and the Welshman square for Hernandez to net his second from close range. Wes Brown's own goal led to a nervy finale but United muddle their way through.

In fairness to Deschamps, he might argue that Marseille's controlled style of attacking was what kept them in the tie, that if they had commited further to attack, United would have torn them apart on the break. But United were clearly vulnerable, with Brown and Smalling an unconvincing partnership, and I think a more adventurous approach from the French team might have yielded a big reward. That said, even as it is they will feel that, on the balance of chances, they might well have gone through.

In fairness to United, while theirs was an unconvincing performance, injuries have depleted their squad somewhat. Twice tonight, there was an enforced substitution at right back- first O'Shea was replaced by Rafael, then Rafael by Fabio- meaning both Giggs and Scholes had to play ninety minutes. Understandable, then, that United failed to regain the tempo with which they started the game.

The plus point for United is the chemistry between Hernandez and Rooney. Rooney has always been at his most exciting when allowed to drop off and set up, as well as finish, chances. Hernandez is the ideal partner in this regard, as he plays off the shoulder of the last defender, is very quick, and shows clever movement. It's been a good few days for United, a bad few for Berbatov.

Then again, the poverty of United's current midfield means that Ferguson is likely to soon revert back to packing the midfield and using Rooney either from the left or as the spearhead of the attack.

The Cliche Corner part 1.

2011-03-15T20:18:00.002Z

"These things even themselves out over a season"
What a crock of shit. Firstly, it's quite clear that big teams, most obviously Manchester United in the Premiership, do not suffer poor decisions as often as other teams. It's just that they whinge the loudest afterwards, as we saw with Alex Ferguson's childish reaction to the Chelsea defeat.

But even if there was no bias or fear involved in refereeing decisions, why the hell would they even themselves out over a season? People do know the meaning of "random" don't they? Random things do not "even themselves out". There is no grand plan.

It's like people claiming that "everything happens for a reason". If they mean everything happens as a direct consequence of something else, I guess they're right. But if they think every random event is all part of some grand, cosmic plan set out for the benefit of each individual, they need to wake up a bit.

A Better Analogy Than I Can Come Up With

2011-03-14T17:05:00.002Z

On today's Guardian podcast, Gregg Roughley pointed out the similarity between Saturday's game at Old Trafford and a certain scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Manchester United as Indiana Jones and Arsenal as the stylish swordsman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anEuw8F8cpE

The Spine of Glass

2011-03-13T17:07:00.002Z

For a team to be successful, we all know it needs to be strong down the middle of the pitch. A reliable goalkeeper, with a strong central defensive partnership in front. A midfield capable of destroying and creating in equal measure. A goalscorer up front.

Arsenal arguably have these components in theory, but almost never in practise. To be injury-prone is an Arsenal trademark.

Although Wenger still, unbelievably, refuses to buy an experienced goalkeeper of true quality, Szczesny has looked the best of the revolving bunch this season. He will now miss the rest of the season. Djourou and Vermaelen are the two best centre backs at the club. But they have had no opportunity to forge a partnership. While Vermaelen was impressing last season, Djourou was unavailable. This time around, Djourou has held things together alongside some frankly very erratic partners, while Vermaelen has fallen victim to the injury curse. And now Djourou himself has proven brittle yet again, and Arsenal are left with two apparently incompatible, error-prone defenders to see out the season.

Ahead of the defence, with Denilson and Diaby clearly not good enough to play for Arsenal, and Ramsey recovering from being Shawcrossed, Song, Wilshere and Fabregas established themselves as the unchallenged first choice trio. It is a midfield of flair and invention, even if they can be made to look lightweight at times. But when the back-up players are not up to the task, Arsenal cannot afford to see Cesc Fabregas suffer recurrent hamstring injuries, stalling his season time after time. Now Song too is missing important games, and Wilshere is holding things together despite his youth and inexperience.

Up front, Van Persie is, as proven by his New Year purple patch, a striker of real class. Nobody has ever doubted his ability to score goals, but in the last two seasons his link up play has improved and Arsenal play much better as a team with him in the side. But he is comically brittle and has never stayed fit for close to a full season. Chamakh and Bendtner could be good understudies to someone like Thierry Henry, who could be relied on to bang in goals all season long. Because of Van Persie's frequent, prolonged absences, they are being asked to do too much.

The evidence is that the spine of the Arsenal team is mostly made up of players whose fitness cannot be trusted in. Van Persie and Djourou have always been injury-prone. But after the last two seasons, Fabregas now invites that tag aswell. And Vermalen has been plagued by a problem of Rosickyesque proportions this season.

We still cannot be sure of the reasons. Is it just bad luck? Does Arsene Wenger sign too many brittle players? Is there a problem with the medical staff or with the training regime at the club? Are players rushed back from injury too often? Is the players' physical weakness somehow linked to their obvious mental weakness?

I have only talked about the main players down the middle of the team- no mention here of Abou Diaby's niggling problems, or Theo Walcott's, or Rosicky's. It is difficult to remember a time when Arsenal did not have a lengthy list of short and long term absentees. Worse still, it is difficult to suggest a solution, besides the fanciful one of dropping most of these players and bringing in more durable replacements, which in any case sounds like a recipe for more transition.

From Despair to Where

2011-03-13T03:00:00.003Z

Is it time for sweeping changes? Is there reason to be optimistic in the title race? Will Arsenal win anything under Wenger again?

It's been two weeks of utter despondency for Arsenal and their followers. The first blow remains the worst- the team pretty well bottled the Carling Cup final, raising doubts as to their ability to secure any kind of silverware. The games since have done nothing to dispel those doubts. The draw at home to Sunderland in the league may yet be seen as very, very costly. The Barca game was the worst kind of humiliation, exposing the lie of Arsenal's superiority complex, as the team either attempted to execute a very negative gameplan, or, even worse, just lacked the balls to stick to their guns and settled for jogging around chasing shadows all night. Then there was the FA Cup loss to United, Alex Ferguson again outsmarting Arsene Wenger, and with a line up that, on paper, is one of the worst you will ever see United field. For all their vaunted style, Arsenal did not have the substance to make clear chances or the finishing prowess to beat Edwin Van der Sar. At the back, as always, Arsenal were caught out nearly every time they were attacked at pace. Even faced with an immobile midfield pairing of Gibson and O'Shea, Arsenal's laboured attacks mostly failed to test the strength of United's rearguard.

It's a time to look for positives, but most of them seem vague to me. It's a young team that is likely to improve, some say. But Arsenal are, in all likelihood, set to lose their captain and only world class player this summer. That won't help the team's development. There is no comparison with the loss of Thierry Henry, who was a fading force by the time he left, becoming troubled by injuries, losing his pace. And he was, let's not forget, a bit of an asshole who had a detrimental effect on some of the younger players. The season after Henry's departure, the team was clearly liberated and enjoyed their best campaign since 03/04. Without Fabregas, Arsenal will need someone to step up to the plate and show some leadership. Jack Wilshere has been Arsenal's best player through this difficult spell- that is both encouraging and worrying. He is only a kid and yet he is showing more fight and character than people who have been in the team for years. What does that say for the current squad?

It may seem harsh to be critical of Arsenal when they are outperforming big spenders like Man City and the champions Chelsea. But it seems to have become the Arsenal way to point to these disadvantages and claim a moral victory. To clarify, Arsenal do spend money too. Theo Walcott, for instance, cost a lot of money for a kid and so far injuries and a lack of natural talent have curtailed his development. And new, beefier contracts are constantly being signed by underperforming players. It seems Arsene Wenger wants to avoid the kind of situation that saw Mathieu Flamini leave for nothing in 2008. The great irony is that Flamini played out of his skin while his contract was running down- his first ever real run as a first choice player. He had been undervalued, while now people like Diaby and Denilson are overvalued. They are rewarded for mediocrity.

To constantly compare ourselves to underachieving overspenders exposes a small club mentality. Success and progress should be the only measuring stick. If Arsenal are to finish second in the league, Mr. Wenger will spin it as progress, and on the surface, he would be right. But the truth is Arsenal have stood still while others have gone backwards. Manchester United look like winning the league with a worse side than the one that finished 2nd last season. Chelsea endured a wretched winter, and many of their players look locked in decline. Manchester City are handicapped by the negative tactics of their manager and their team is still taking shape. Spurs have been distracted by the Champions League, and Liverpool spent most of the season in crisis. Stability seems to be on Arsenal's side and so this season has to be viewed as a huge opportunity, if Wenger's rhetoric is to be believed. He feels the team has matured but they were not mature enough to overcome their own nerves in a Carling Cup final. They were not good enough to truly test Barcelona over two legs. They are still not good enough to beat what is a poor Man Utd side. The league remains a target but to secure it they will need to show reserves of character that have not been shown by this set of players.

The fatal flaws of last season remain glaring. Defensive solidity was compromised by Vermaelen's niggling injury, but the team's collective approach to defending remains suspect. The downright laziness of Wenger's defensive ethos made clear by the contrast with Guardiola's Barcelona. Here is the most talented set of players in world football, working like dogs every time they lose the ball. Beyond the back four, Arsenal's players too often look uninterested in the defensive side of the game. Jack Wilshere has improved the team in this regard through sheer determination, but the midfield remains lightweight and unconvincing without the ball. Diaby and Denilson are happy to coast as squad players. In fact, beyond the first eleven, most players are unable to cope. Rosicky is stagnating. Squillaci has been a disastrous signing. Eboue barely gets a game. Bendtner and Chamakh cannot be relied upon to score goals when it matters- that has been clear in the last couple of weeks. Arshavin is talented but lazy- Walcott tries but is not talented. There are a number of players that most fans think are not good enough.

Arsenal have lost some easy games this season, but with the exception of a fine performance at home to Chelsea, they have come up short again in the toughest ones. Twice now at Old Trafford they have drawn blanks. They did not turn up at Wembley against Birmingham and paid the ultimate price thanks to one of the most amateur mistakes you will ever see at this level of the game. They won the first half against Barcelona thanks to some good fortune and some resilience, but retreated into their shells in the second. The lack of a winning mentality and the lack of defensive strength is summed up by the way Arsenal made an excuse of RVP's dismissal. At that moment, Arsenal were leading the tie with about forty minutes to go. Inter Milan had held out much longer minus a man the year before. With Arsenal, it was as if the tie ended with the red card. The players saw their excuse to run less, to try less, to hide. Arsenal had defended stoutly for the most part when 11 v 11, but suddenly every Barcelona move was puncturing the defence. Wenger ranted at the decision and then sat like some inanimate object while the game slipped away, refusing to make a change that was patently needed.

Injuries have hampered the team at a crucial time again. But the game against United has shown what a feeble excuse injuries really are. Because United are flexible, they were able to win playing two full backs on either wing. Arsenal have been unable to effectively replace Theo Walcott, even though he's not even that good a player. Without his pace, the whole system seems so one-dimensional. Arsenal only have one way of playing and without pace, it becomes so blunt, so lacking in incisiveness. For all their supposed artistry, Arsenal without Fabregas lack genuine creativity. They pass, pass, pass- sideways, sideways, sideways. Then there is the edge of the box and the brick wall it represents. Of course, United have played all season without a creative midfield player. They remain the foremost team because they are durable, flexible. They realise that for most teams, goals come from quick moves, counterattacks, crosses. They use proper wingers and they have centre forwards who score. It's simple and some may find it prosaic; certainly, this is one of Ferguson's least impressive line ups, but they succeed nonetheless. If it came down to a simple dichotomy, you could say that what drives Ferguson is the pursuit of trophies, whereas for Wenger, aesthetics get in the way. He wants to win, no doubt, but stubborn, flawed idealism has handicapped that quest.

Victory in the title race could, of course, be the making of this team, but victory seems far less likely to me than the table suggests. I had serious doubts before the Carling Cup final as to whether Arsenal could recover from defeat and events since the loss have gone as I expected. This season represented an exceptional opportunity to end the run without silverware and so far that opportunity is going down the toilet. I don't expect the teams around Arsenal to be in such poor shape next season and I don't expect Arsenal to improve much if Fabregas leaves. Wenger will see that the team has plenty more attacking midfielders and in a way, that's an understandable view, but what he has to do is fix the character deficit that has plagued this team for years. Fabregas has been one of the best players in the club's history and at the moment it seems he'll be leaving with one poxy, jammy FA Cup victory to show for his efforts. That is a sad state of affairs for a supposedly big club and if failure this season does not serve as a wake up call there is a danger of Arsenal becoming entrenched in a state of perpetual transition.

Wenger has become obsessed with moulding players, building a team in his own image. He is able to instil a playing style but not a winning mentality. He has proven incapable of that. When he arrived, there was Adams and company. They showed Vieira the way, but the 'Invincibles' were dismantled before a lot of the current crop arrived, and the only experience in the current squad is experience of failure. There is no sense of a torch being passed. There is a sense that they are playing 'good' football for its own sake and that losing is ultimately acceptable. It may hurt Wenger's delicate sensibilites, the idea that character has to be bought in, but it seems to me that that is the only way to grow a culture of success. If nothing changes, I think there should at least be some pressure on the manager. Pressure breeds success, comfort breeds complacency. The fans want to see success and familiar excuses are growing tiresome.

This is a Problem Now.

2011-03-12T20:19:00.003Z

Arsenal have not beaten Manchester United since the early part of the 08/09 season.

Today, Alex Ferguson fielded a weak side. The weakest United side Arsene Wenger has ever faced (not including a League Cup match years back). Arsenal were missing players but were much closer to what may be called "full strength". United ran out comfortable winners nonetheless.

Even if Arsenal pull themselves together for the remainder of the league season, much will likely rely on the game between the two teams at the Emirates. United will not be playing full backs on the wings, centre backs in midfield. We can't predict their line up but we can predict the way Arsenal will approach the game. United have got so used to it that it seems Ferguson can beat Wenger using any kind of starting eleven.

Arsenal are not that good, unless the object of the game is to play well between the two penalty areas. Against Barca, the pressure was so great that they failed even to do that. Against United, they were allowed to do it. United settled for winning the mini-games in both penalty areas. That was enough. In the space of a week, Arsenal have fallen foul of the best midfield in the world, and then no midfield at all.

FLEXIBILITY

2011-03-12T19:34:00.004Z

It's why Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager of recent times. And the lack of it is why Arsene Wenger and Arsenal's glory continues to recede into the past.

Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal
After being outclassed at the Nou Camp, Arsenal took up the more familiar mantle of moral victory at Old Trafford. They owned the ball, played most of the football, exerted a lot of pressure... and lost. The extent to which Arsenal can cling to their moral victory should be tempered by the fresh memory of Tuesday night. Would any Arsenal fans have complained if Bendtner stuck away that late chance and Arsenal fluked their way through?

In any case, United did show more in attack than Arsenal did against Barca. They scored from their first decent attack. Denilson showed some fatal hesitation in midfield, failing to close down Rafael's poor first touch, and the Brazilian played in his twin down the right. The ball was worked inside to Rooney, he crossed first time for Hernandez, and although Almunia did well to parry a strong downward header, Fabio gobbled up the rebound. All very familiar for Arsenal fans. They had been allowed possession and showed some apparent menace up to that point, but their attacks stalled on the edge of the box. United had been wretched on the few occasons they had the ball, frequently pumping it straight through to Almunia. The first time they put a move together, however, Arsenal had no answer. This team can attack for 80 minutes and not break through, and they will not defend well for the other ten. It's an unfortunate mix.

Arsenal showed their intent at the start of the second period, and Koscielny stormed forward to find himself on the end of two chances. First he chickened out of shooting and tried to square the ball to Van Persie, but when the ball ricocheted back his way he produced a good effort which Van Der Sar did well to save. United showed their superior cutting edge again almost immediately; Rafael's cross found Djourou denying Hernandez with a desperate challenge, and as with the first goal, a United player was first onto the free ball, Rooney nodding into the far corner.

The game continued in this frustrating fashion. Arsenal did make some clear chances, and deserved at least a goal. Chamakh wasted the best one. Sagna's cross was deflected right onto his head, but the attempt was neither powered nor placed, and Van der Sar again made a fine save. United threatened sporadically on the break. Clearly, this had been their intention from the start, with their "midfield" comprising Gibson and O'Shea in the middle, Fabio and Rafael on the wings. They allowed Arsenal the illusion of control, confident that they could repel the Gunners' narrow, intricate attacks.

Arshavin played well first half, but faded, showing his lack of fitness. Nasri had his moments and was unlucky with a clever near post effort in the first half. Nobody played particularly badly. The team's ineffective style, its lack of cutting edge, was again exposed. Fabregas and Walcott may have made a difference, but on another day United would have had Fletcher biting into tackles, Nani and Park ripping Arsenal apart on the counter. Both sides were understrength but United are more flexible.

Completing a miserable day, Djourou picked up what looked a serious injury, leaving Arsenal down to ten men for the last ten minutes, and unable to launch a convincing attempt at an unlikely comeback. Then we were treated to the sad spectacle of Paul Scholes launching into two of his trademark rubbish tackles- booked for the first, but allowed the second, because even when leading 2-0 in the final seconds, United players are not punished by scared referees. They have fallen foul of some poor decisions in recent away games, but at Old Trafford, they can do whatever they like.

Arsenal can cling to the fact that United played with more or less the same tactics and style as Leyton Orient or Leeds. United will have something more tangible to hold onto at the end of the season.

Why Arsenal Will Lose This Weekend

2011-03-10T18:49:00.004Z

1. Fabregas is Out
Arsenal's captain is back on the treatment table, having been rushed back to play his old side on Tuesday night. Arsenal in general don't beat good teams, but without Fabregas, they can struggle against even mediocre ones, as proven by recent problems against Birmingham and Sunderland.

2. Manchester United have Character
(and Arsenal don't). I don't remember many times that Alex Ferguson's Man Utd have lost three consecutive games. Three consecutive games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal? I'd eat my hat. United tend to be galvanised by setbacks, and their players will be fired up after a week of nonstop hairdryer, following a terribly flaccid performance at Anfield. Arsenal? Their previous slumps this season have been mercifully short, but they are no strangers to imploding for a month on end at a very important time. The players are in a painfully familiar situation and I'm afraid they will expect to lose on Saturday. United have the winning mentality. If you compare the teams in terms of raw talent, Arsenal are probably better. Why then are United top, and so used to winning trophies? Because they have stronger minds, stronger hearts.

3. The game is at Old Trafford
Arsenal haven't won at Old Trafford since Emmanuel Adebayor's late goal won an early season game in 2006. Since then, Arsenal have played well and lost, played ok and lost, played terribly and lost at Old Trafford. The games, with the exception of that 4-0 beating in 2008's FA Cup, have been tight and United have rarely played brilliantly, but Arsenal seem to lack the mentality to win there and never score more than once. It can't all be bad luck.

4. Ferguson has the measure of Wenger
Arsenal only play one way. Or they only play well one way, when they try other ways, we get what we had the other night. This isn't the best of United's recent teams but they can defend, they can counterattack, and they use these aspects of their game very well against Arsenal. At the Emirates, where Arsenal tend to overcommit, United have twice won by a wide margin in recent years, by exploiting Arsenal's exposed defence on the break. While the games tend to be tighter at Old Trafford, as Arsenal do not attack quite so recklessly, United's habit of not making mistakes is vital. Remember the game at Old Trafford last season, when Almunia and Diaby made errors to turn the match around? Arsenal make the kind of mistakes that United don't. Ferguson will ensure it's not the kind of open match that Arsenal thrive in. The last time he set up to attack against Arsenal was the last time Arsenal won- when Nasri's double beat a team containing Berbatov, Rooney, and Ronaldo in 2008. He'll probably only play one striker this Saturday, and pack his midfield with the kind of industry and grit that Arsenal still cannot seem to match.

Food For Thought for the Hype Merchants

2011-03-09T03:17:00.003Z

Sometimes, stats don't lie. Van Persie and Wenger can berate the officials all they like, but on Tuesday night, Arsenal did not have a single attempt on goal. The whole game turned into an attack vs defence exercise. While the red card contributed to that in the second half, there were no excuses for Arsenal's lack of forward momentum in the first. They were simply outfought, outpressed and outpassed.

As with that 2005 FA Cup Final, Wenger didn't plan it, it just went that way. Mourinho parked the bus, Arsenal crashed it. They tried to pass, tried to play, but the opposition were on another level, so it became, by accident, a rearguard action.

Keys and Gray may be gone, but the Sky Sports hype machine lives on, and you will still hear many more times this season that the English Premier League is the world's best. Arsenal are the second-best team in said league at the moment. They could not muster a single shot against La Liga's best. A common argument for the current superiority of English football is that the teams at the bottom can beat the teams at the top; all that that really proves is that the top teams in England are either in decline to some degree (United, Chelsea) or still progressing towards being a very good team (Arsenal for the last few years, Spurs, Man City, Liverpool). They are basically arguing that the Premiership is greatest because it has no great teams. Barcelona would wipe the floor with almost every team in that league, just as they do with almost every team in Spain. I have no problem with people stating that the Premiership is the best to watch, even though that is only a matter of opinion, but I would appreciate it if the pundits could just try to be a bit more critical-minded in suggesting why Wolves are able to take points off the top teams.

Almunia: Time for a Reevaluation?

2011-03-09T02:26:00.002Z

No.

Few Arsenal players emerged with much credit from the Nou Camp. They all chased and harried a bit, but a telling statistic after the game was that Barcelona's players ran a whole lot more (not sure of the exact figures). It's hard enough playing a team more talented, but when their collective work rate is superior aswell, you don't really stand a chance. Arsenal barely won a 50-50 challenge all night.

As has been the case in recent weeks, Jack Wilshere was at the heart of most of the good things that Arsenal did in attack. And at the back, Laurent Koscielny again won a few personal duels with Leo Messi. But Arsenal's man of the match, if such an award can be given on a night of failure, was substitute Manuel Almunia. He was in almost constant action, particularly in the second half, and quite a few of his saves were in one on one situations. In this strangest of seasons, it is quite possible that he has gone from first choice, to third choice, to the only choice, with Fabianski's season finished and, possibly, Szczesny's too.

It has been fashionable for a long time to deride the Spaniard. He first came into the Arsenal line up in 2004, soon after the team's 49 game unbeaten run had ended so acrimoniously at Old Trafford. His chance came at the expense of Jens Lehmann, who was somewhat unfairly scapegoated for the team's general loss of form. Almunia soon proved himself much more error-prone than even the eccentric German, and by the end of the next season, Lehmann was undoubted number one and a real cult hero, having helped Arsenal to the Champions League final.

Almunia became the main man early in 07/08, when Lehmann dropped horrendous gaffes in the first two league games against Fulham and Blackburn. Despite enjoying a decent season, the Spaniard never quite convinced people that he was a top stopper, and Football365 soon became fond of stating that Arsenal played without a goalkeeper. He's started every season since as number one, but it looked like this time around, with Fabianski finally finding form, and Szczesny looking like the next Peter Schmeichel, Almunia's stint was finally up. Will the performance last night have changed opinions?

Not mine. Almunia's best moments have generally come in games where Arsenal have found themselves under siege- in other words, games that only come around once in a while. This was the case at home to Barcelona last season, even though in that game, he still practically begged Zlatan Ibrahimovic to lob him for the opening goal. He was also impressive in another Champions Leage game, the away semi-final against United in 09, where Arsenal were outplayed and opened up at will. To be fair, he also had a knack of saving penalties, including one against Spurs that probably turned no points into three in 2008.

But the common criticism of Almunia has been his inability to make saves in the games that Arsenal dominate. The games where the keeper just has to make one or two interventions, to ensure that the attacking players can go on and win the game. And you never got the impression that he inspired much confidence in his defenders. His decision making has always been suspect. I will always have nightmares about an ill-advised charge to meet Ryan Giggs near the corner flag at Highbury, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo with an empty net during that temper-flared thriller in 2005. He has never lost that tendency to act on suspect impulses and it has often cost Arsenal dearly.

After the Birmingham game and Ben Foster's standout performance, some asked whether Manchester United should have stuck with him as Van der Sar's understudy. But Foster and Almunia are alike. Foster's best games come when he's busy, and a United keeper will not usually be busy. A United keeper will need to organise his defence, take crosses and make a few saves in between long stretches of boredom. Birmingham suits Foster better because they are a mid-level team, with lower expectations, and he can keep himself busy saving a steady barrage of shots. He will still make regular mistakes but they will not be noticed like they were when he was costing United points.

A big club needs a cool, calm, reliable goalkeeper and that usually means an experienced one. Almunia has experience, but it is of a questionable quality. Before Arsenal, he was a journeyman keeper in Spain, and in all his years in London he has not gained the trust of many. Wenger will probably continue, when given the choice, with the education of either Fabianski or, hopefully, Szczesny, and allow the Spaniard to leave in the summer. In an ideal world, he would buy a man of experience to help the defence along and avoid such catastrophes as we saw at Wembley, but that may be an expensive business and we know what Wenger thinks of expensive business. He would rather sit on the money and live with the inevitable mistakes. The future will arrive some day.

Wenger's Faith is Shaken

2011-03-08T23:27:00.003Z

Arsene Wenger is sometimes ridiculed for his faith in young talent. Tonight he showed a lack of faith in some of his players.

How else do you explain the starting line up? Minus Alex Song, Denilson was left on the bench despite being the only other "holding player" in the squad. Fabregas started despite his clear lack of fitness. Van Persie started despite a similar problem, and both Chamakh and Bendtner were left on the bench. Wenger professes his belief in his squad, but tonight his faith only extended to his star men. Taking chances with the fitness of players has become a familiar ploy and this is not the first time we have seen it backfire. Last season, Fabregas played in the first leg of the tie against Barcelona and missed the rest of the season as a result. This time out, he was carrying an injury, I have heard, from the fifteenth minute on. Who is to say what damage had been done by the time his ineffective performance was finally brought to an end by second half substitution.

I know it meant a lot to the guy to play at the Nou Camp. But what about the team? What about the rest of the season? If he is playing a game when he's not ready, it is stupid of him and stupid of Wenger. It hinders Arsenal on the night and, possibly, for the rest of the season. The same goes for the Van Persie gamble. For Wenger to take these risks seems defeatist- like saying, "we cannot beat Barca without these players. Even if Fabregas is half-fit, he's better than a fully fit Denilson". Not the case, especially when playing Barcelona involves having to run yourself into the ground, constantly closing them down. It seems ludicrous to me that, with Arsenal down to ten men and trying desperately to hold onto that 3-2
aggregate lead, an already injured, immobile midfielder was left on, while a fit, defensively-minded one was left sitting pitchside. Fabregas was only withdrawn after Barca had turned the tie around.

After the red card, Barca commenced to batter at Arsenal's door with incessant pressure, and they had been cutting through at will for a long period before Xavi eventually found the net. Wenger failed to act, as if paralysed by his own rage at the injustice of Van Persie's sending off. Arsenal limped on with Nasri as the nominal out ball up front, and with Fabregas, Diaby and Wilshere forming a shield of foam in front of an overworked back four. A more proactive manager would surely have thrown on Bendtner or Chamakh, and Denilson. Admittedly, the enforced change of goalkeeper in the first half did not help, as without that, Wenger probably would have used Denilson at 1-1, knowing that he could still put on Arshavin and one of the forwards if needed.

Still, it seems amazing to me that Wenger seemed to wait for disaster, and then try and change things from a losing position. It's not like Arsenal were comfortably holding out, or even playing well, at 1-1. It was an incessant tide and the manager sat back and watched it grow instead of making changes to try to stem it.

What does all of this say about the likes of Bendtner, Chamakh, Denilson? It disgusts the manager when the fans show a lack of patience with still-developing players. What of his own lack of faith? If he really felt so daunted by Barcelona that he didn't feel he could cope without his main men, he should have considered the bigger picture, and how Arsenal would fare for the rest of the season without them. Because make no mistake, he risked their seasons by playing them in tonight's game. Whatever the manager's outward rhetoric, what kind of self-belief will Bendtner, Chamakh and Denilson carry into the rest of the season? The latter in particular must wonder how on earth he could be deemed an inferior option to the stuttering, choking Diaby, who seemed to lose the ball every time he had it tonight.

Battered again but...

2011-03-08T21:49:00.006Z

...Barca are too good to have to rely on an extra man all the time. Throughout the first half, on the rare occasions that Arsenal were bold enough to try tackling, the holier-than-thou home players bitched and badgered at the referee. Abidal rolled and moaned when tackled cleanly by Rosicky, trying to get the game stopped, but when Wilshere did something similar minutes later, he was surrounded by pompous pricks trying to pull him to his feet. I'm not trying to make excuses, because Arsenal were completely outclassed, but from the moment Abou Diaby's penalty area foul on Messi went unpunished, practically every decision went the home side's way.

It was a surreal game in many ways. Arsenal had two shots, if you're being kind. The first came from the head of a Barcelona player, and gave Arsenal an undeserved equaliser. The second saw Robin Van Persie sent off in ludicrous circumstances after he didn't hear the referee blow for offside. So in effect, there was not a single legitimate effort on goal by the team in yellow. Even stranger, Bendtner should have had one, should have scored, should have put Arsenal back in a winning position, but his touch was poor and Mascherano and Valdes smothered the chance. That was with minutes to go, by which point Barca should have been into double figures.

The first half was a story of atrocious passing by Arsenal, under ferocious pressing by Barca. There was no threat on the home goal, while the pressure steadily built at the other end, without the steady flow of chances we saw in the first leg. Arsenal never looked comfortable under siege. They wanted to play football, but could not deal with the pressure they were put under, and because Rosicky, Nasri and Van Persie all prefer to move towards the ball, there was no way out, no way of finding even temporary relief. Their play became steadily more ragged, until Fabregas gave the ball away on the edge of the area with a silly backheel straight to Iniesta, who found Messi with a lovely dink through. The impudent Argentine clipped the ball over the flailing Almunia's head, then vollyed it into the empty net. That looked like game over, as Arsenal had offered no threat at all.

After the lucky equaliser, and the unlucky red card, Almunia kept Arsenal in it with a number of fine saves. The Spaniard had come on for Szczesny, who injured his hand saving an Alves free kick in the first half. 10 v 11, it was one way traffic. Rosicky, Diaby, Wilshere and Fabregas, anonymous until his mistake and not fit to play any real part, proved no real barrier in front of the back four, who were forced into all kinds of desperate interventions before a lovely run from Iniesta and deft touch from Villa sent Xavi through to provide the inevitable goal. Easy to say it from the vantage of an armchair, but Wenger really needed to make some kind of change to stem the tide after the red card. That said, there were no obviously robust options on the Arsenal bench.

The aggregate scores were level again with just twenty minutes to go, but with Arsenal's lack of defensive nous, there was no chance of holding out that long. They barely lasted a couple of minutes before Pedro was felled by Koscielny in the box, and Messi stroked the resultant penalty into the corner to give Barca the advantage. A further away goal would have sent Arsenal through. Late on, good pressing from Wilshere and Arshavin saw the fomer cross for Bendtner, but the Dane fluffed his lines. In truth, an Arsenal victory would have been a bit of a travesty after they had been comprehensively outplayed. Barca were amazingly wasteful in front of goal again, having seemed to create chances at will.

Arsene Wenger was livid with the referee, and put forth the opinion that Arsenal would have progressed if not for the red card. He's being overly generous to his own team, who had failed miserably to play to their best in the first half, and were gifted a goal out of nothing. But we'll never know quite how the second half would have panned out if both sides had eleven men. It's likely that Arsenal would have had a few more decent attacks, and a second goal would have left Barca needing four, so the home side could not have attacked with no thought of being caught at the other end, which is basically what they were able to do for the rest of the game.

But what Arsenal, the masters of self-pity, need to avoid is wallowing in excuses and perceived hardship. They were outplayed again over two legs, and as Guardiola fairly assessed afterwards, couldn't string three passes together all night. For Mourinho and Inter, that was all part of the plan. For Arsenal, it was an abject failure to live up to their own pretensions. They shouldn't lose sight of that fact because of a harsh decision. They need to concentrate on salvaging something from a season in danger of freefall. That quest starts at Old Trafford this weekend, where Ferguson's team will also be looking to bounce back from recent disappointments.

BARCELONA 3-1 ARSENAL
messi 2 (1 pen)
xavi
busquets og
Aggregate: 4-3

Another Downbeat Barcelona Preview

2011-03-08T00:07:00.002Z

Some good news, some bad.

Fabregas will, it seems, lead the side out. Arsenal fans will dread a further injury to the captain as much as they dread an avalanch of goals. You just hope that he has not been rushed back, that this is not an act of desperation, because the season might not end with defeat tonight, but if Cesc Fabregas is ruled out for another few weeks, it will be as good as over.

Surely more desperate still is the surprise inclusion of Van Persie in the squad. Very strange to see the Dutchman back in contention ahead of schedule, rather than the opposite. He probably won't start, but if he does, it would not constitute a great vote of confidence for Bendtner and Chamakh.

Still, at least this latest injury news has provided for a bit more cautious optimism. Then again, with Arsenal holding a slender lead, discipline is going to be key, and from that viewpoint the absence of Alex Song may be more significant than the presence of Fabregas and Van Persie. Song remains the only player who can patrol the area in front Arsenal's defence with true competence. Wilshere and Fabregas never lack for workrate but their instincts are more attacking.

The contenders to step in, it seems, are Diaby and Denilson. Both endured something of a failed audition on Saturday against Sunderland. Diaby is like a lot of Arsenal's midfielders, in that he is too forward-thinking to be an obvious midfield anchor. He does have size on his side, but does not really enjoy the physical element of the game, probably because he has been injured so many times. He also lacks Song's ability to keep the play ticking over with simple passing. Too often, Diaby overcomplicates with too many touches and a general air of nonchalance that Barcelona's hectic pressing could well expose.

Denilson is the more conservative of the two, but lacks Diaby's imposing stature. He often looks lightweight in the Premiership, but that may not be such an issue against a team that threatens more with finesse than power. He has provoked the fans' ire many times both this season and last, and even felt the sting from his own captain after some inept play against Leeds. For a nominally defensive midfield player, he does have an unfortunate tendency to conjure goal-costing errors, and like Diaby, can project the impression that he is not really that bothered. This is not a game of beach soccer in Rio, it's a Champions League knock out game, so you'd hope that he is in a focussed mood if selected.

Given the choice, I would give Denilson the nod. Diaby does, despite his irritating style, have a certain X factor and can be difficult for the opposition to deal with. But in the absence of Song, Arsenal need someone reliable and disciplined. And Denilson is... well, he's more reliable and disciplined than Diaby. He has been tasked before with protecting the back four and his style, in comparison to the improvisational Diaby, is more suitable to a fluid passing game. Arsenal will need to hold on to the ball for a minute or two at some point.

Even if Denilson can rediscover some of his best form, Song's injury remains a massive blow. He was absent at the Nou Camp last season aswell, and that night, Diaby and Denilson failed to stem the constant tide towards the Arsenal goal, as Messi plundered a four goal haul. The Argentine will look to drop off into the very area that Song usually inhabits, and Xavi and Iniesta will relish the possibility of extra space there too. In the last few seasons, it has sometimes seemed that Arsenal only have a midfield in the attacking sense, and that the back four enjoys little to no protection when the opposition breaks. But Jack Wilshere's industry and maturity has contributed to an increased solidity in this campaign, and it's a pity that the first-choice trio has been broken up at such a vital time.

Arsenal lack a really tenacious ball winner at the best of times; without Song, I can't see them holding Barcelona. And as stated before, Walcott's injury is hugely unfortunate too, because his pace would have had you believing Arsenal could score one or two. Without that threat in behind, I'm not so sure.

All that you can ask is that Arsenal give it a good go and attack with pace where possible, without doing it in a naive way. It's a balancing act they pulled off pretty well at the Emirates, and it's worth remembering that the brilliant breakaway winner happened with Walcott off the pitch. Nasri might look to be a bit more direct than he's been in recent games, while Arshavin does make plenty of runs behind defences, as we saw at the weekend. If Fabregas can find the space and time to thread some passes through, Arsenal should make chances- especially with Barcelona's patched up defence minus Puyol and Pique. With Barca's wealth of talent, it depends more on what happens at the other end. With a great slice of luck, it could be a great night for Arsenal, but whatever happens, it should be a memorable game.

Another Favour: Kuyt 3-1 United

2011-03-07T23:29:00.004Z

An uncharacteristically limp performance from United will have given some hope to those of an optimistic persuasion that Arsenal can still take the title, but much will depend on how Ferguson's team reacts to a week of disappointment in big games. United have shown their fighting qualities on numerous occasions over the years, and those qualities are not so pronounced in their main challengers, so it remains likely that United will take their 19th title and edge ahead of Liverpool overall.

United fans may console themselves with that very point- Liverpool may have won the battle, but United are winning the war. There is a bigger picture, though. Liverpool are showing genuine signs of revival under the man who presided over their last glory period. Despite the likely title triumph, there is a whiff of decay about the current United bunch. Giggs and Scholes are still relied upon too much, and this week contracts were signed by Carrick and Fletcher, player who have been around a long time but who have never threatened to reach the heights of the older guard. Carrick turned in a trademark anonymous performance alongside Scholes, while Fletcher was allowed to rest ahead of his own trademark, man of the match, kick-everything-that-moves performance against Arsenal next week.

Ferguson needs to spend money to bring in players with the craft to elevate Fletcher's graft, but in January he was inactive while Dalglish splashed piles of cash on Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. The former was the star man yesterday, leading United's defence a merry dance at times, most notably when beating three feeble challenges to set up Kuyt's first tap in.

As against Chelsea, United suffered from poor decisons. It was already 2-0, but not yet half time, when Carragher launched into a disgraceful lunge on Nani, leaving the winger with a nasty gash on the shin; Carragher escaped with a yellow card. Then Rafael, angered further by a high tackle by Maxi Rodrigues, flew into a similarly reckless challenge- again only a yellow card.

United had a brief spell of menace early in the second half but Rooney remains a distant relative of the player he was last season and with Nani off the field after Carragher's assault, the Red Devils lacked the ingenuity to come back with conviction. When Kuyt gobbled up the rebound from Suarez's free kick to seal his hat trick and make it 3-0, the game was over.

Unusual that Ferguson stuck with 4-4-2 after the Chelsea game, and unusual too that he left out Fletcher. With no Park or Anderson or, needless to say, Hargreaves, United lacked industry in the middle of the park and Liverpool set a high tempo that they just couldn't match. They are certainly going through a difficult spell, and Chelsea's win over Blackpool tonight means that the Blues are now nine points behind with a game in hand. Still, they tend to react well to this kind of result, and Arsenal may feel the bite of the wounded animal next weekend... It will be interesting, in the event of an Arsenal defeat tomorrow, to see who looks more dejected in the FA Cup game, and who reacts better to their confidence crisis.

injury update

2011-03-06T09:28:00.001Z

Jack Wilshere picked up a knock in the Sunderland game.

This means that Arsenal's first choice midfield trio are all doubts for Barcelona.

The black comedy continues.

Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland...

2011-03-06T00:59:00.005Z

A disappointment, but a familiar disappointment. For Arsenal to drop points at home to Sunderland ought to be shocking, but it's not a completely unexpected result. Three big reasons for that.
1- Arsenal don't play well under pressure
2- Arsenal don't recover quickly from setbacks
3- Arsenal don't cope well without Cesc Fabregas
With the absences of Song, Walcott and Van Persie added to that list, it was never likely to be as straightforward a game as some assumed.

Bad luck played a part. Their keeper made a couple of great saves. Chamakh crashed a header against the bar. Arshavin sliced wide with Bramble falling all over himself and the Russian. And very late on, the same man was played through by Bendtner, danced around the keeper and rolled the ball in, only to be wrongly flagged offside.

But overall, it was the kind of Arsenal performance the Emirates has seen too many times- a slow start, turning into a frantic siege late on as Arsenal strive to secure a result. Since the move from Highbury easy home wins have never become a regular habit, and if you want another obvious contrast with the team that's going to win the league this season, there you have it. United have, if I'm not mistaken, only dropped home points once all season long. Arsenal have, by way of example, lost at home to West Brom and Newcastle.

The team needs more urgency at the start of games, but perhaps when the midfield features Denilson and Diaby, a lack of fluency is to be expected. The Brazilian has fallen out of favour this season, while the "new Patrick Vieira", as some idiots used to call him, is really a YouTube player who does a couple of amazing things during a game (that usually don't lead to a goal) and otherwise spends his time taking too many touches on the ball, slowing every move down and exhibiting a complete lack of footballing intelligence.

Arsenal created chances, particularly toward game's end, but without Fabregas the chances are never as frequent or as clear. We only really appreciate when he's gone the effortless creativity of the guy. I read recently that, statistically, he makes more chances on average than any other player in Europe. For all Arsenal's attacking midfield players, they find it difficult to replace that surgical precision. And for all the huff and puff of Bendtner and Chamakh, neither can blow houses down like Van Persie. A word even for Walcott, whose raw pace is a rare and precious commodity in the Arsenal squad.

Arsenal's injury problems have surely relaxed Barcelona ahead of the second leg on Tuesday. The man most likely to exploit the open spaces they leave behind them is out. And so is Arsenal's primary source of goals. The stalemate today increases the likelihood that Wenger will risk Fabregas and/or Song, and the way things are going, you wouldn't be surprised if that led to more injury problems. Remember that Fabregas played the first leg last season when clearly not ready, and as a result, wasn't seen for the rest of the season.

It all seems painfully familiar. A promising campaign falling apart in the space of a fortnight. The first two chapters of disaster are complete- the loss of the Carling Cup final, and the loss of vital points in the title race. Getting knocked out of Europe by Barca and of the FA Cup by United would complete a familiar picture.

It seems cruel that while Arsenal fall short of being a very good team, they are also a long way off being a lucky one. On Tuesday night they will need a whole pile of luck. Barca can step up as they like to, and Arsenal without Walcott will likely fail to break behind their high line effectively. And we can hardly expect Messi to be as profligate as in the last game, although you'd also expect Arsenal to defend much better than they did on their last visit to the Nou Camp. If Barca have a huge amount of possession- and there's no reason to expect otherwise- they will make chances. I think they will score a few and go through. Arsenal are unable to play the kind of disciplined game they need to.

It's a pity that the next week has become even more important than it should have been, as a result of that cataclysmic cup final. Because they messed up a relatively simple task, now the success of the season rests on two very difficult ones. If Arsenal cannot beat Birmingham, or Sunderland for that matter, why would the players believe they can win in Barcelona or Manchester? And if those games go badly, will the players have the heart or the energy to keep up with United in the league?

Sometimes it seems this Arsenal team are destined to fail, and that the only thing to be decided is how they do it. So let's sit back and find out.

If this season were a film....

2011-03-04T00:39:00.004Z

it'd be Groundhog Day

OUT of Barcelona away: Van Persie, Walcott.
DOUBTFUL for Barcelona away: Fabregas, Song.

RVP, Fabregas, and Song were all absent for the Messi Show last season. So were Gallas and Arshavin.

This time, of course, Thomas Vermaelen will not play. And Laurent Koscielny is apparently out of the Sunderland game at the weekend. Suddenly that game looks a lot tougher. Again, expectation is growing, as the title race seems very close. Judging from how Arsenal dealt with expectation last weekend, I wouldn't be too optimistic. Then again, Sunderland are in a rotten run of form, and Arsenal enjoyed the best possible outcome in the replay against Leyton Orient- goals for Chamakh and Bendtner. With Van Persie out, you were starting to wonder where the goals would come from.

Still, if it's a straight shoot out for the title, who would you back:
The goal threat of Berbatov, Nani, Hernandez and a resurgent Rooney, or that of Bendtner, Chamakh, Arshavin and Nasri?
United's defence or Arsenal's?
Ferguson's scrappers or Arsene's bottlers?

Arsenal got a big favour from Chelsea the other night, but they'll need a few more if they're to win the title. Anyone who thinks this Arsenal team will win the rest of their games needs their head examined. They wouldn't even do it at full strength. To expect it of them now, injury-ravaged as they predicatably are, would be ludicrous.

You say pessimism, I say realism.
I think Arsenal will get turned over again in the Nou Camp.
I think the wheels will come off as the title charge enters its home strait.
And I'm afraid I struggle to see Arsenal coming through that FA Cup tie at Old Trafford. Especially because, assuming Arsenal have just exited European competition, Wenger will probably not be able to resist prioritising the Premiership.

It's a pity that the success or otherwise of this season seems to hinge on two games against Manchester United, a team Arsenal haven't beaten in what seems like a long time. Recent skirmishes have suggested that Ferguson found a formula to deflate Arsenal, and Wenger has failed to react in any meaningful way. I don't think the Arsenal players will relish meaningful head-to-head games with United- let's face it, if they weren't strong enough for Birmingham, they will find it difficult against United.

It'll be an Arsenal team that seems scared of winning, against a United team unaccustomed to defeat. You can call Darren Fletcher or John O'Shea or Michael Carrick average players; they'll be busy deciding which of their medals to slap you over the head with.

And much as Arsenal fans can trot out the holier-than-thou lines about thinking football is more than just a fight for trophies, it's getting a bit tired. We did not see Arsenal win a trophy on Sunday, and we nor did we see wonderful football. The game was fascinating and entertaining because of Arsenal's mental fragility. Maybe that's why people find Arsenal so fucking entertaining all the time- because they always give the other team a chance. Great football counts for little if it is only produced on the minor stage, with nothing at stake.

We're entering the stage of the season when true grit is what's called for, and if the Arsenal squad's mental state is anything like its physical state....

yes I am in a bad mood

Oh No: It's "in Arsenal's Hands" Now

2011-03-01T22:43:00.004Z

Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United
Two days later, another team in blue provides Arsenal with a much-needed boost. A nice slice of irony, in that United fall victim to refereeing decisions, rather than enjoying the usual positive bias.

First half, United outplay Chelsea. Enjoy a long, dominant spell, culminating in Rooney taking advantage of some very passive defending to send a low-flying missile past Cech from outside the area. He shouldn't even be on the pitch after his risible, unpunished attack on James McCarthy at the weekend. Carrick, Scholes, and Fletcher moving in from the right, are dominating the centre of the park.

Chelsea look pallid, a mere shadow of the team that won the double last season. A switch to 4-4-2 has exposed Lampard as one-paced, and Essien has failed to become the player we all expected. On the left, Malouda struggles for the form of last season. Rooney and Hernandez are terrorising Terry and Luiz at the other end, and Nani has Ivanovic looking much less assured than usual. But as soon as United take the lead, they predictably drop off, even though there seems an opportunity to kill the game off.

Second Half
A fairly soft goal turns the tide. A cross into the box is half-cleared, bounces towards Luiz to the right of the area. Evra chases the loose ball, gets there too late, can only nudge the ball onto the Brazilian's right foot, and the shot swerves inside Van der Sar's near post.

Thus begins a frantic, exciting 35 minutes or so, in which both teams attack with pace, make myriad mistakes. Chelsea have way more shots, but United seem to be attacking in a more measured, menacing manner. Rooney gets in on the left but seems conflicted as to whether he should shoot or pass, skews the ball well wide.

Then, two big decisions go Chelsea's way. First, Luiz, already booked, blocks Rooney off. No free kick, no second yellow. Minutes later the home side storm forward, and sub Zhirkov knocks a loose ball through Smalling in the area, and falls over the young centre half. No intent, barely even a challenge at all, but contact of any kind these days seems to yield a penalty. Martin Atkinson plays homer and points to the spot.

Lampard, having a poor game, still has the bottle to smash the penalty high into the net.

United rally, as they always do. Keep passing the ball. A fine move leads to a scramble, Fabio is denied. Chelsea respond in typically professional fashion, get the ball in the corner up the other end during stoppage time, and as United's frustration boils over, Vidic gets a second yellow for a foul on Ramires.

*************************************************************************************
What it means for us
Arsenal now trail by four points. They hold a game in hand. Because they have a home game against United to come, if Arsenal win all their games, they will win the title.

Arsenal will not win all their games. But United do face an apparently tough visit to Liverpool this weekend. If Arsenal can hold their nerve and dispel the negative vibes at home to Sunderland, things might get interesting. Still, the talk of this as being one of the closest Premiership title race may prove premature.

If United play like they did tonight, I think they could batter Liverpool. Much of the intrigue derives from the return of Kenny Dalglish, and United's closing in on their 19th league trophy, which would outstrip Liverpool's record. But Liverpool remain quite a bad team, and are in the process of trying to bed in new strikers. I have a feeling it won't be as difficult a game for United as people are assuming.

And even if the league is "in Arsenal's hands"... could you really call that a safe pair of hands, especially after Sunday's debacle?

Van Persie is out for "at least three weeks". Don't expect to see him again this season. Just like last time, it seems Arsenal will visit the Nou Camp in depleted shape, and the task would have been hard enough with a full squad to choose from. That micky mouse trophy looks more desirable by the day.

Only a Slight Exaggeration

2011-03-01T04:31:00.002Z

Wayne Rooney could borrow Ashley Cole's air rifle tonight, shoot one of the Chelsea players in full view of the referee, and he still wouldn't even get booked.

Rooney's elbow on James McCarthy at the weekend, and the staggering absence of punishment that has followed, is the joke that's been told too many times. The running joke that is now an embarrassment to the Premiership.

Manchester United players can do whatever they want, almost all of the time. Alex Ferguson is bigger than the FA.

Blue Sunday

2011-02-28T23:20:00.009Z

Carling Cup Final: Birmingham 2-1 Arsenal
Some are hoping that Arsenal can pick themselves up from this, and win one of the three bigger tournaments they are still competing for this season. I am asking whether they will win another trophy under Arsene Wenger.

The team were on a decent run of results until yesterday. Unbeaten since the meek surrender to United at Old Trafford. But there had been signs of weakness. Most obviously, there was the amazing collapse at Newcastle, drawing a game they had led 4-0. More relevant to yesterday, perhaps, was the struggle during the FA Cup ties against Leeds, Huddersfield, and Leyton Orient. These games suggested that Arsenal's reserve players struggle to beat limited, but well-orgainised and highly motivated underdogs.

Against Birmingham, Wenger did not want to play too many of his back-up players. But injuries to Fabregas and Walcott forced his hand. Still, that shouldn't have mattered. The only non-regular to come in was Rosicky. Positionally speaking, he is a direct replacement for Fabregas. Quality-wise, he is now painfully inadequate. But the biggest blow, as it turned out, was to the mental side of Arsenal's game. Without their captain and best player, they looked nervous and failed miserably to impose their much-vaunted passing style. Still, big teams win without playing well. They do it by hanging in, not making mistakes...

The game started with Arsenal enjoying a huge slice of luck.

Zigic, found by Fahey, played the best pass of his career through to Lee Bowyer, making a vintage Ljungberg-style run beyond the Arsenal defence. Bowyer reached the ball ahead of the on-rushing Szczesny, and was bowled over by the Pole. It was a clear penalty, and quite possibly a red card, but the linesman had wrongly raised his flag. Clichy was playing Bowyer yards onside.

Arsenal rallied a bit. Their first good bit of play came when a nice reverse pass from Nasri found Arshavin in the box with his back to goal. He shimmied to leave Jiranek flailing, but his left foot shot was repelled by the legs of Foster. The first save of many.

The favourites failed to build on this moment of promise, however. Their play was littered with sloppy moments. Alex McLeish had recognised Arsenal's lack of pace sans Walcott, and the Blues defence played high up the pitch. Arsenal offered no direct threat in behind. Birmingham's pressing was aggressive, fair and very effective. Arsenal players didn't look interested, at times, in getting on the ball and playing their football.

Birmingham took a deserved lead. Sagna gave the ball away with the latest of many poor Arsenal passes. The Blues forced a corner. From it, Djourou went wandering instead of marking the towering Zigic. Johnson won the header over Koscielny, and the big man did the rest, nodding the looping ball into the net from close in. Arsenal, characteristically enough, went to pieces for a spell after conceding. Birmingham threatened a second. Szczesny had to save at Zigic's feet. Arsenal were failing to deal with his aerial threat.

Then, an undeserved equaliser. Wilshere was one of few Arsenal men not buckling under the pressure of expectation. He drove forward on the break. Arshavin eventually found him with a pass from the right, and Wilshere's shot from the edge hit the crossbar and looped out. In the same passage of play, Arshavin got the ball again, beat Ridgewell and crossed for Van Persie, who somehow conjured an agile righ-footed volley on the spin, finding the far corner. Another brilliant goal from the Dutchman, but he took a knock in the process which bothered him until his eventual second half withdrawal.

So Arsenal had, for the second time, got out of jail. Surely they would not mess things up now.

The second half began promisingly enough. Van Persie released Sagna to the byeline, and he measured a ball to the edge of the box where Rosicky was steaming in. The Czech struck on the half volley and the shot went just wide.

Birmingham responded. Fahey struck from the edge of the box, Szczesny well beaten, the inside of the post rattled.

As the half wore on, Birmingham dropped deeper, and the threat of Zigic faded. Arsenal finally imposed themselves for a spell, but still failed to create a gilt-edged chance. Mostly, there were shots from the edge of the area. One such, from Nasri, was batted away by Foster. Arsenal continued to attack with a Birmingham player down injured, and Bendtner, on for RVP, saw his deflected shot clawed away impressively. Rosicky had a backheeled attempt blocked by the on-form netminder. Nasri hit one straight at him.

As the half-chances came and went, and Foster kept out the shots, you started to feel that maybe Birmingham's name was on the trophy. Martins came on to provide Zigic with some company. As the 90 approached, the Blues launced another hoof, Zigic beat Djourou to flick on. Martins stood still and the ball was bouncing through to Szczesny. I'm not sure if he should have even had to shout, but if he did do that, Koscielny heard him too late. The Frenchman pulled out, mid-kick, of what was already an unnecessary clearance. The ball rebounded off his confused keeper, and the loose ball fell comically to Martins, who couldn't miss.

Four minutes were added, but Arsenal failed to mount a meaningful attack. The game was up; they had failed on the big stage yet again. Birmingham celebrated wildly and it was hard to begrudge them their success. They had got the tactics spot on, used Zigic well. They were brave, and correct, to push high and deny Arsenal time to settle. They were denied an early penalty. I was happy for Stephen Carr, one of the outstanding full backs in the Premiership. Birmingham plainly had character in spades, the one attribute that Arsenal most glaringly lack.

THAT GOAL
You have to say, it was apt.
Not particularly unexpected, either. When a massive game is lost late in that manner, you should be surprised. With Arsenal, that's not the case. Defensive mistakes have become routine in recent seasons. Although there has been a brief period of semi-solidity, the CC final saw a return to black slapstick comedy. The first goal was the kind Arsenal concede all the time. But the second was one of the worst we'll ever see. Koscielny was highly impressive against Barca, but the constant aerial barrage against Birmingham clearly frazzled his nerves. There was no need for him to even go for the ball, but I guess he thought Martins was chasing it, and that his keeper hadn't come out to claim. Maybe Szczesny needed to shout, or shout earlier. Maybe Koscileny just should have hoofed now, asked questions later. Maybe the keeper could have been more assertive.

In any case, it's the kind of mistake you just don't see big teams make. But a lack of communication between Arsenal defenders is, at this point, a sad trademark. Something that clearly seperates them from the kind of teams that win things. The goal brought together two fatal flaws that have stained the years since Arsenal's last trophy. Defensive ineptitude, and the absence of experience. Szczesny looks set to be a very good goalkeeper, but he's a rookie. So too, despite the hefty price tag, is Koscielny.

Equally worrying is the unavoidable proof, throughout the game, that Arsenal lack the big game mentality. They looked terrified in the first half. Second period, they improved, and could have scored, but none of the saves Foster was forced into, with the exception of that deflected effort, were amazing, and Arsenal didn't make any great chances. I think they missed Fabregas mentally, but also on a simple, footballing level. None of Arsenal's other attacking midfielders are as incisive, either in their passing or in their running off the ball. Nasri seemed to lack the swagger that has made him so impressive this season. Arshavin was typically erratic, but surely shouldn't have been taken off, especially not for Chamakh, who has been hopeless in recent weeks. Rosicky flitted in and out in his now familiar ineffective style.

Birmingham defended narrow, and Arsenal failed to respond to that by getting wide and making crosses. With Bendtner and Chamakh on the pitch late on, this should have been an obvious tactic, but maybe at that stage Clichy and Sagna were too drained to get forward often enough.

THE AFTERMATH
I had said beforehand that victory could be significant. I am sorry to say I think defeat will be equally significant.

Everyone assumed, since West Ham knocked Man Utd out, that Arsenal would win the Carling Cup. They will not often be presented with opposition like Birmingham in a game of that magnitude. That is no disrespect to Birmingham. But Arsenal tend to struggle to beat the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd. So this was a huge opportunity to end the fallow period.

If they cannot beat Birmingham in a Carling Cup final, how do you think they'll do in the Nou Camp? Do you think they can win an FA Cup quarter final at Old Trafford? Do you think, even if United drop points in the league, that Arsenal are able to take advantage? I think they'd bottle it. I think they will lose in the Nou Camp and lose at Old Trafford. As has happened in recent years, I think the season will fall apart in the space of a couple of weeks.

If Arsenal had played convincingly, and won, I would say it was the first piece of silverware this season, promising the possibility of more. Since they lost, and because of the way they did, I can't help feeling it was actually the last chance to win something this season.